Wider Church Wednesday

Yesterday was Wider Church Wednesday. Almost everything I did had a connection to the wider church. I began the day working on our newsletter. I focused on a couple of articles that looked at the ministry we do in the community. Then I drove across town to a meeting at the Chancery for a meeting with the Annual Way of the Cross committee.

I spent a good part of the rest of the day in Hartford. I stopped in to visit and pray for newborn Christian Fitchett and his mom at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. He was having tests after a scary episode last Sunday. Jerry and Joan were hoping to go home today.

I spent the afternoon at the ABCCONN Office on Bloomfield Avenue in my role as Personnel Committee Chairman for our American Baptist Churches. Chairing this committee is the job of the immediate past President of ABCCONN and that's me. Anyway, we scheduled a time for staff to come in and do a self evaluation on how they had done with their goals for the previous year. I believe it turned out to be a very affirming experience for the staff. We got a chance to celebrate the ministry they do on our behalf.

I came back to Norwich to sit in on a Norwich Church Softball League meeting and then finished the day at our basketball game against St. Johns. Fred Greens FBC Ballers won 38 -29 and upped their record to 5-1.

Cal

A few words about baptism

This afternoon I met with Andrew and Erika. They are going to be married later this Spring. They are also considering joining our Church. We talked about what joining the church meant for them and how it is done at First Baptist. I thought today I would pass on some of what I said to them on this topic.

First off a lot of people ask me "Why should I join the church when I can come and participate without making that commitment?" The simple answer is that when you join the church you affirm the fact that you have heard God's call and are willing to commit to him. You are saying " "God I am yours and I am ready to serve you in this place at this time." You are also saying that you believe in what God is doing in and through this ministry and you feel God's call to be a part of it. So joining is important because it affirms God's ministry and validates what god is doing in this place.

So how do you join the church? There are three ways. The first is by believer's baptism. We practice full body immersion like they did in New Testament times. It symbolizes a death to the old self and the rising of a new creation. It echoes the words of Jesus that we are a new creation. If you have never been baptized before or if you are making a major transition in life, this is the best way to join the church. Baptism brings you into the universal family of God and op0ens the door to life in a particular congregation.

The second way is to call for a letter of transfer or recommendation from another church where you have been a member. Most often this letter will come from another Protestant church. It simply says that you have been a member there and they commend you to us.

The last way is by confession or profession of faith. People who have been baptized in other traditions as an infant who want to claim this baptism and affirm their faith in Christ can come into membership this way. also those folks whose church membership has lapsed or who are unable physically to be baptized by immersion can join this way. At FBC we prefer that people experience the ordinance of believer's baptism so they can appreciate what Jesus and all the apostles experienced in this beautiful act of obedience. But the most important thing is saying "yes" to Jesus.

We will be welcoming some new members into the family on Palm Sunday. We will also have a service of believer's baptism. If you want to know more, then drop me a line and we can talk.

Cal

A good day

It's late and I am tired so I am not going to write much today. So I have just two quick thoughts to pass on.

First, I finished a series of four sermons based on the Book of Ezra today. I have to confess that from a preacher's standpoint, it was one of the best series I have ever preached. Every message had some poignant words for us to hear. I know God spoke to me and I hope he spoke through me as well. As a New Testament preacher I don't often get as excited about preaching from the Old Testament but this series was different. I think it was because my focus was on the church and what God is calling us to do. Things are good at First Baptist right now and I think we can all feel the Holy Spirit doing things and preparing us for the next steps.

Which brings me to my second point. We had our 208th Annual Meeting today after church. It included fellowship around the tables at a soup and sandwich lunch. We talked about the things we have done and began to get excited about what lies ahead. It was a good meeting.

Too often I hear stories about the nightmares at other churches. Meetings turn into battle grounds. Budgets become stumbling blocks. Sometimes people are even put down and disrespected. We are blessed at First Baptist. Even when there is an honest disagreement about something, we hear each other and strive to come up with a plan that works for most of us. We are not a rich church, but God has blessed us. That is why we are looking to do more in the coming year. We believe that" to whom much is given, much is required." We have been given much.

A special word of thanks to Bob & Helen Walker who provided the soup today. It was great. Thanks to George Strouse and Sandy Stone who assembled the Report Booklets yesterday.

Just a reminder about next Sunday: We worship at Central Baptist at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School is there as well beginning at 9:08 a.m.

Cal

We hold the key

Prayer is job #1 at church. I was reminded of that over the last few days. On Friday I visited a family that is dealing with a terminal diagnosis. When I entered the house I felt helpless in the face of trying to meet their needs and expectations. What could I say and do that could bring hope and comfort to them?

A lot of people think ministers, priests and rabbis have all the answers. That's probably because we like to perpetuate that myth so we can keep our jobs. Well I hate to break it to you but when it comes to answers, I bow my head and punt it to God. You see God is the only one who can help someone understand why they have been diagnosed with ALS. God is the only one who can help somebody figure out why they feel under attack by the devil when they are trying to stay clean and sober.

That's why I say prayer is job #1. That is the one thing we can offer folks in the face of the pain and difficulty that many in our pews face. That's what I brought on Friday. I came with a prayer. When I left I was told how much it helped. Imagine that.

The same thing happened this afternoon at church. A woman stopped by. She was having a bad day. She saw my car and she asked if I could pray with her. That's all she waned. She wanted me to help her connect with God.

I think if we could remember that at church, the pews would be filled each week. I pray that God will continue to remind us of that which makes us different from any other institution on earth. We have the keys to the kingdom and we can open the door to bring people into the presence of God. Good night. See you in church. Cal

A look at our broader ministry for Christ

This morning I put on my ABC hat and traveled to Brooklyn for an 8:00 a.m. meeting at a nursing home and then drove down to North Stonington for a meeting at a Christian Camp. Why? Because our ministry extends beyond the reach of our city. Our church is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of Connecticut and the American Baptist Churches USA. This doesn't mean much to the person sitting in our pews from Sunday to Sunday. We don't answer to a hierarchy as we live out our calling as a church body. We are led by the Holy Spirit and called to minister to the world around us. It begins in Norwich to be sure.

We don't need a denomination to do that. We have been doing wonderful things in own. For two hundred years we have been an active presence in our city. Today we have a small food pantry that serves 6 - 10 families a month. We serve lunch to anywhere from 40 -75 people at St. Marks Lutheran Church on the third Sunday of each month. We add our resources to others and raise money for hunger marching in the CROP Walk. We give to CareNet Pregnancy Resource Center and walk for life, Madonna Place for mothers and children, St. Vincent De Paul Soup Kitchen and Habitat For Humanity, building homes for families. That's us. We are First Baptist Church.

Yet there are things that are important enough for us to roll up our sleeves and jump in to the fray. For instance over fifty years the American Baptist Churches in Connecticut, started two ministries that are still considered treasures in our mutual ministry.

The Pierce Baptist Home began as a home for the elderly from our Baptist churches. Over the years it has grown and now it is a premier facility for the care of elderly residents of all faiths in northeastern Connecticut. Today we also offer a wonderful place for the more active seniors to live at Creamery Brook. It is the first step in a continuum of care plan blessed by our Baptist Churches. The success of Pierce Home led to the establishment of Connecticut Baptist Homes in Meriden and Mystic River Homes in Noank. These are all a testimony to what we can do when we come together in ministry.




Camp Wightman began a ministry for our children. In the beautiful wooded landscape of eastern Connecticut, the American Baptists purchased a parcel of land and developed it as a camp for our kids. Over the years it has grown and it is now one of the special ministries that has changed hundreds of lives over the years. Just set foot on the property and you can feel the touch of God.

We can be proud of these ministries. Right now we have four of our members on the Board of Trustees of PierceCare. Last year we gave $800 to Camp to help with the upkeep of the Frances Rose Cabin and sent 8 campers to enjoy a week in God's country.

I don't have to tell you that there is no way we could be responsible for the answering the great commission in Matthew 28 on our own. But as we join together with ABCUSA, we can pool our resource to send missionaries to the ends of the earth. We can also work as partners to become short term missionaries in specific locations. Just like we do in the state, our link to the wider body of Christ builds ministries that change lives.

Cal

Bible and basketball at FBC

The day began with meetings and ended on the basketball court. Along the way I chatted with Quincy, Jim, the Pierce Home Finance Committee, a table of Rotarians, a small group of clergy, members of a Bible Study group and a couple of parents.

The end of the day was certainly satisfying. I was stimulated by a discussion at our weekly Prayer and Bible Study group hosted by Steve and Patricia Ohlund. The group is reading C. S. Lewis' Meer Christianity. This was the first class I have been able to attend and it was a good one. Lewis can be difficult to understand because he writes like a scholar and his ideas are lofty. Yet through the lively discussion of the group, the fog seems to clear and new realizations dawn on us. This week the group was down a bit but it has seen an average of ten over the first few weeks. I'd go again just to share the coffee and snacks.




The FBC Ballers played basketball tonight. That is Fred Green's team and it is led by a couple of veterans, Cameron Barnhill and JJ Jones. Both of them have been with the program for four years and they are great kids. Cameron was accepted at Norwich Tech this week and he is excited about going there as a freshman next year. Two more boys, Irving and Quan are in their third year. Tonight they played well and ran their record to 4-1.





We played against Andy Miller's team from St. Joseph's School and two of their cheerleaders looked familiar. As soon as I saw Nancy Brockway in the stands I knew why. It was her girls, Jillian Brockway and Avery Spears. that did the cheering.

Well here I am now ready to post my latest blog. After a good nights sleep, we will start all over again tomorrow.So good night. See you in the morning.

Cal

Where does my help come from?

The nights are long in January but sometimes it seems like it is the days that go on forever. This is Annual Report Week and that means that in between every meeting, every Bible study, every gathering, I am working on pulling together the report booklet and slide show for the Annual Meeting on Sunday.

This morning Sandy Stone was in the office making last minute phone calls to solicit information and final reports for our booklet. This is crunch time. In the next two days we will have pulled together a 50-60 page booklet that will recap the ministry of the last twelve months. When it is finished, it is impressive to look at. Right now it is a mountain to be climbed.

Over the years I have been very fortunate to have good help in the office. In 1985 Chris Montalvo came on board as the church secretary and served for two years before heading out to find a "real job." Amy Rezendes had three young children at home when she volunteered to work in the church office. She was paid for six hours a week but she probably worked ten or more. Come Annual Report week she moved in at church. Amy was with us 6 1/2 years. Debbie (Muyres) Sandherr followed and worked with me for a year. In 1996 we hired Buffy McFalls and she was my right hand lady for nearly nine years. Buffy saw the position grow in hours but didn't see much of a pay raise. It was still pretty much a volunteer job but she gave it her all. As a result she became youth adviser, book keeper, part time janitor, and jack of all trades. Sandy Callendar followed and she brought a creative flair with her and a fresh perspective. She was also the first administrative assistant and a non church member. She left in 2005 to relocate to the West Coast.

Sandy Stone is our Administrative Assistant now and she is in her third year on the job. I haven't been able to corrupt her with my sense of panic yet. She is sure and steady and i know we will get the job done. After all, it is only Wednesday.

Cal

A hospital call

This morning I got a call that one of our members, Jean, had a heart attack over the week-end and was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital. So after I got things in order at church I took the trip down Route 95. I've made this trip a number of times over the years. Most of our folks go to Backus Hospital for routine surgery or emergency care. Yet over the years I have often been called to visit folks at hospitals in Hartford, New Haven, New London, Westerly and even Boston. If you are there, then I will try to visit you.

I go to bring a sense of God's presence to the people. The truth is that God is already there. But when the Pastor goes, it reminds people that God cares and He is there watching over them. I know that was true for me when I was in the hospital a year ago. I had visits from the Hospital Chaplain as well as our Executive Minister, Judy Allbee. Their prayers reinforced what I already knew.

Sometimes I don't make it to the hospital when someone from the congregation is in. It can lead some to think I don't care. The truth is that I don't always know when someone is a patient at Backus or one of the other hospitals. There is no system in place to alert us. The only way I know is if you or a family member calls the office to tell me. I don't usually visit the hospital unless I know someone is in there. Today most stays are so short, that when I do find out through the grapevine, you are probably already home.

So it is always a good policy to let me know when you are going into the hospital. If I can, I will try to get out and pray for you before your surgery. At the very least I can add you to my prayers and get in to see you afterwards as you begin the healing process.

By the way, Jean is stable and covets your prayers. For many years she was the one at church who led our mid week prayer group and sent cards to those who were facing difficulties. Now let's return the favor and keep her in our prayers.

Cal

One fine Sunday

I always get up early on Sundays. I like to get a bite to eat and then get down to church to check on the heat and go over my sermon in the quiet of the day. This morning I received a phone call from Joan. It was the kind of call I'll take every day. This young lady called to say that she had given birth to a healthy baby boy on Friday afternoon. So I made plans to stop in and see the mom and babe before coming back to church.

I get a lot of calls at church. The ones that I am never ready for are the calls that announce someone has gone to the hospital or that a person has passed away. On Saturday morning I received one of those calls. A good friend of mine in the community had been taken to the ER by ambulance and I was asked to meet the family there. I went to the hospital and met my friend and his the family and friends. I prayed with them and stayed for a while waiting for the doctor to come in and give a report. Thankfully I can tell you that everything turned out alright and he is hoping to go home tomorrow.

Back to today: I returned to church in time for Sunday School and taught the adult class as a sub for Curt Brockway. The class is studying the book of Revelation and we talked about the mark of the beast in Chapter 14.

Worship today was fun as our Praise team played and we sang a couple of our favorite hymns. The message was the third in a series from the book of Ezra. Today I reminded people that we all have a gift or an ability to share in the ministry.

At 12:30 p.m. we met at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church to set up for the Interfaith Luncheon. Cynthia Strouse and Nancy Allen cooked up a pork chop and rice recipe and added mixed vegetables and applesauce to complete the meal. Kyle Mineau and Amanda Duntz set up the tables and got everything set to go and then Judy Vickers and Muriel Roderick came by serve the meal. When the people began to arrive we were ready for them and they really enjoyed the meal.








I had to do double duty for a while today because I wanted to get over to the Norwich Ice Rink to check out our youth group meeting. Fred Green is our new Youth Group adviser and this was his first non basketball assignment. We joined up with Central Baptist and First Congregational Church to host the event. Unfortunately the turnout was not to great. Several of our regulars had other commitments. But those who went, like Heather Adams pictured to the left, had a good time.

Fred and I are going to meet on Monday to plan the next few events. I can't wait. By the way, our basketball teams continue t play and are doing well. The teams all have nicknames now. The Wild Cats are 5-0. The Ballers are 3 -1. The Young Bucks are 4-1 The Heat are 2-3. Check out the web site for this week's schedule of games.

After going back to serve at the Interfaith Luncheon, Kyle and I went back to church. Kyle volunteered to clean up the flower room and repaint the walls. So we bought some paint and I let him go to work.

At 6:00 p.m. I returned to finish up the day with our Spanish class. Cheryl drilled us on days of the week, months and numbers while we played a game that helped us learn them.

The Patriots beat the Chargers this afternoon and the Giants were leading the Packers. I've got my eye on those games because in two weeks we will be watching them at our church sponsored Superbowl party. Well good night. I'll write more in the morning.

One Lord, One Baptism, One Faith

Tonight I was honored to be preacher at the Annual Service of Prayer for Christian Unity. There wasn't a large crowd but it proved to be a very nice service. 2008 marks the one hundredth anniversary of this celebration. It also came on the heels of the funeral for Bishop Daniel Hart, a great advocate for this service and all other ecumenical and interfaith events in our city. I mentioned that in my homily.

Afterwards we enjoyed a nice reception and as Rev. Jim Rowe mentioned in his greeting, all Christians can gathered around food no matter what church they belong to.

Earlier in the day I represented our congregation at the Funeral Mass for the Bishop. It was a very nice tribute to a humble servant of God.

Cal

We keep the light on

Yesterday afternoon the Executive Committee of Pierce Memorial Baptist Home met here. Over the years, our church has hosted committees from the Home because it provides a convenient site for some of the Board members. After the meeting I thought about the number of outside groups and organizations that host events and committee meetings here. The number is impressive. In the last year we have hosted;

Buenas Nuevas Hispanic Church
Lord Glory Methodist Church
Brownie Troop 3225
Daisy Scout Troop 233
Beginning Yoga with Carol Klammer
Literacy Volunteers -
Volunteer training
One on one tutoring
New member recruitment
Health Screening
Pierce Baptist Home
Executive Committee
Finance Committee
Nominating Committee
Norwich Churches Together
Head Start
Norwich Free Academy Boys Soccer Team
Luis Pabon Spaghetti Supper Fund Raisers


The list actually goes on with many others who have had one time uses. When I first came to First Baptist we were hardly using our building at all. One of the dreams of the Executive council back then was to be a more visible presence in the community. We wanted our building to be used for the glory of God. That dream has become a reality.

Over the years we have hosted the Americares Free Health Clinic, the Norwich Rotary Club, An Senior Adult Exercise Class, a Boy Scout Explorer Post, Spirit of Broadway Show Rehearsals, AA Groups and much more.

In February we will begin hosting the "Spiritual Open Mic" for the Christian community a few times a year. We will share responsibility for the coffeehouse type event with its founder, the Christ Episcopal Church.

There are even more plans in the works for the future and it is good to know that the people in our community have found our sacred space to have a welcome mat out for the good organizations in our community.

Cal

All time lists

Lists are fun so I thought I would share a few FBC lists with you this morning. Later this year we are going to have fun with the fact that I will move into first place as the longest tenured Pastor of First Baptist Church. Beginning in May we will have articles, skits and funspots about the top ten in FBC history. so here is the first list. Pastoral Service rank:

1. John Sterry 1800-1823 23 years 3 months
2. Clayton Lord Jr. 1985 - present 22 years 7 months
3. * William Palmer 1824- 1834, 1840-45 15 years 6 month (two stints)
4. Percy Aquila Kilmister 1929 - 1943 14 years
5. Walter Schoepfer 1957 - 1967 10 years
6. Herbert Wise 1897 - 1906 9 years
7. George H. Strouse 1913- 1921 8 years
8. A. S. Brown 1889- 1897 8 years
9. Vernon Price 1968-1976 8 years
10. R. K. Ashley 1861- 1869 8 years
11. Douglas Howell 1977- 1983 6 years
12. Walter Loomis 1944-1951 6 years
13. Amos Spaulding 1870-1876 6 years
14. Edward Dunbar 1922- 1928 6 years
15. Charles Weaver 1855-1861 6 years

How about Church Moderators? Thist list is easy. It only goes back to the 60's. Prior to a By-Laws Change in 1964 the Pastor always served as Moderator of church meetings. Charles P. Hamblen, Headmaster of Norwich Free Academy was our first moderator. Attorney George H. Strouse Jr. was our second. In 1988 we began using term limits. In 1994 we actually put a three year limit on service as the Moderator.

Charles P. Hamblen 1964- 1976
George H. Strouse Jr. 1976- 1988
George W. Strouse 1988 -1990
Harry B. Eisan 1991- 1993
George J. Rezendes Jr 1994-1995
Tom P. Bell 1996-1997
George J. Rezendes Jr. 1998
Curtis J. Brockway 1999-2001
Nancy D. Allen 2002- 2004
George W. Strouse 2005-2007

I'll add some more lists later on. If you have one you'd like to see I will try to research it and get an answer for you.

One more quickie that I can expand upon is church organist. I can name the top two without even looking.

Annie Cowen 1919 - 1966 47 Years
Adele DiBiagio Cofer 1980 -Present 28 years

cal :-)

Practice makes perfect.

We had choir rehearsal tonight. It may not sound like a big deal but it really is. I know that you see it listed in the bulletin week after week and you may be thinking "So? What's the point?" The big deal is that these men and women make a weekly commitment to come out in the middle of the week to rehearse songs that they will sing on Sunday morning when we gather for worship. They make a commitment to be at church just about every week to lead us in singing God's praises. They don't do it to be recognized. They come together because they love to sing and they want to offer it as a gift to the Lord.

Their reward is in knowing that they are appreciated and that they have made God's heart glad. So next time you see a choir member on Sunday. Tell them you appreciate what they do. And if you like to sing, then why not consider joining the group. There is always room for one more.







Actually, Susie Rothholz joined the choir tonight. She sings soprano and told me that she enjoyed her first rehearsal very much. That's good because this week we are meeting again on Thursday night at Central Baptist Church at 7:00 p.m. to go over music for our joint services in February and March. We are inviting anyone who wants to join us for those special services to come along to the special rehearsal. So here's your chance to be part of the fun.

Cal

Who did that?

It was a quiet day at church due to the big snow storm that rolled in. I went down at noon and saw Sue K. shoveling the walks out front. Bet you wondered who did that? Maybe you didn't? There are a lot of things that happen at church every day that the average person in the pew doesn't think about.

Our ministry takes paid staff and lots of volunteers to fulfill the call we have in the community. Adele Cofer, Sandy Stone, Don Walberg, and Will Calderon are all paid and work part time at church. We just hired Fred Green to do youth ministry for us. Everything else that is done at church is done by volunteers.

For example last week Harry and Dot Calkins, Carol Calkins and Bob Walker spent the morning folding and preparing the newsletter to go out. Julio Sanchez, Len Miller, Jim Volpe and Jack Greenwood all coach our teams in the Church league. Rosie Main, Sandra Lucien, Fran Rogers, Rachelle Weimer, Zelda Earle, Doris Calkins, Laura Krefer, Kristen Deptulski and Curt Brockway teach in the Sunday School. George Rezendes, Lori Lord and Cynthia Strouse work together to do the opening exercises.

Then there are the choir members and Praise team who provide musical leadership for our worship. There are the ushers that Bob Walker calls on to greet us every week. I think you get the idea. There is always a job to do and it gets done when someone steps up to volunteer. So is there something you would like to do? Have you noticed something that is not getting done? Come talk to me and let's see if we can make it happen.

Cal

Good News is the same in an language

Hola! Como esta? Today we worshiped with our sisters and brothers from Buenas Nuevas. Pastor Jorge Morales and I led the service together alternating between English and Spanish. I did the English part of course. Members of our Spanish congregation took part and led us in singing three songs that they know and enjoy. Our choir sang "O Be joyful" and Muriel Roderick talked to the children about Jesus' trip to the temple.

I preached my second sermon in the Ezra Series and Wanda Morales translated it into Spanish. It was a good service. I know that it was hard for some to follow. It wasn't our usual service but sometimes we come to worship God for His sake. We gathered today to glorify God. The simple fact that two congregations drawing from two cultures can come together to praise God says something to the world about the universality of the Gospel.


The day began with Sunday School. George Rezendes is teaching the kids the books of the Bible and today we sang a song that will help them remember them. We are focusing on the New Testament right now. Can you name the books? Matthew, Mark, Luke John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians... If you can't name the rest in order, maybe you should join us at Sunday School. It is not just for kids.

Cynthia Strouse has been teaching the kids new songs this year. We are working our way through the song book mixing old favorites, with traditional hymns and new songs. This Books of the Bible song fits right in.

This afternoon I represented us at the Stonington Union (SUNL) Association meeting at the First Hispanic Baptist Church in New London. The meeting began with worship and the host church had the group singing and praising God. Then Pastor Daniel Martino preached a message about vision from the book of Habakkuk. He is the prophet who said, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." He introduced Pastor Morales and members of Buenas Nuevas and shared how God gave them the vision to plant a church in Norwich. After a year the church is averaging close to seventy people each Sunday. That is quite a testimony for vision.

At 6:00 p.m. I returned to Norwich for our Conversational Spanish class. Cheryl Dutrumble is teaching us and we are bungling along. She has the patience of a saint. We began the class with a the thought it might help those who are thinking of going back to Mexico. But it has evolved into something much bigger. It is fun too! Just look at these photos from tonight's session.





Sundays are busy at First Baptist. That's a good thing. Especially when we can sing God's praises in English, Spanish and and other language on earth.
Cal

A death is like a comma for those left behind

Any time someone dies, we stop to reflect upon the meaning of life and in particular what the departed meant to us.

We had a memorial service at the church today. Phil Postler's sister, Doris Emigh, passed away rather suddenly on New Year's Day. She lived in New Hampshire and didn't really have a church connection so Phil asked me to do the service.

It was a nice service. Patricia sang "Amazing Grace" and "Ave Maria" and I shared some stories that family members had given me. I also tried to point people to Christ and let them know that God loves them and has a plan for our lives.

I don't put a heavy evangelical spin on funeral services. A long time ago I decided that I was going to remember the person, share the important scriptures and let God work in people's hearts. A sudden death gets everyone thinking about life and death. I just want to plant a few seeds that God can use to till the soil. I have had people come to church after a funeral because God stirred their hearts.

The truth is that we are all going to die. We don't like to think about it but when we do, it forces us to think about how we live and what we believe. Phil told me he thought a few people may actually be ready for God to lead them back to church. That's always nice. I like to say that God wrote the book on turning tragedies around to make them into triumphs. If one person's death can be a jumping off point for faith, then God is glorified and that person's memory is honored even more.

Cal

The Weekend is here is prime time at FBC

For most people Friday signifies the end of the week. It is a call to relaxation and a period of rest. At church it is a completely different story. Friday marks the beginning of a weekly celebration. It looks forward to a reunion of the faithful as they gather for worship on the Lord's day.

Today the volunteers came in to assemble and prepare the January newsletter for mailing. Carol Calkins, Bob Walker, Harry and Dot Calkins have been volunteering for quite some time now. This morning they came in with a smile and before they were done 315 newsletters were bundled up to take to the Post Office. If you would like to read it you can go to our web site and click on the Newsletter link on the cover page. Our site id (www.fbcnorwich.org).

This evening the Young Bucks played their fourth game and I went along to take some pictures. George Rezendes led the kids in prayer and Julio Sanchez and Mr. Gomes coached the kids to their third victory of the season against one loss. It was a great game and the kids even had their own cheering section. Check out these photos!

A typical day out of the Church office

I got to the church about 6:20 a.m. and the lights in Fellowshp Hall were on. Pastor Daniel Song from the Lord Glory Korean Methodist Congregation was holding his early morning prayer meeting (Who says pastors only work one day a week? :-) There were two of them in the same building as the sun was coming up in the middle of the week!)

I went right to work writing a few articles for the monthly newsletter. At 8:00 a.m. I paused to send an e-mail to the Diaconate about changing the date of our meeting and to ask for an approval of a donation to a young family who needed help getting into an apartment and out of the shelter in Willimantic. A few minute later the phone rang and it just happened to be the young woman saying that they definitely had the apartment if they could come up with $800.

At 9:00 a.m. I received the first of several phone calls. Sandy Stone fields most of them after she gets in but until then I am on my own. At 9:30 a.m. a couple stopped in to talk about an upcoming memorial service I was officiating at for a family member. We chatted a bit and then I showed them the kitchen and Fellowship Hall so they could make plans for the little reception that would follow the service.

Around 10:00 a.m. one of our members came in to do the year end audit of the church books. He grabbed some file folders and went to work. A few times he came in to ask questions. Luckily I could answer most of them even though I am not the treasurer. The pastor has to have a pretty good idea of what we buy and how bills are paid because he or she is basically in charge of the day to day operations at the church. Being the pastor of a small church is like running a business in a lot of ways. If anything needs to be bought, any decision needs to be made of equipment, it is the pastor who usually make the decision. Of course major purchases that can be scheduled always go through the appropriate committee. I'm talking about paper, postage, oil deliveries, subscriptions, supplies and things like that.

At 11:45 a.m. I had a parishioner stop in to drop something off and at noon I was off to the weekly Rotary meeting. I belong to the local Rotary Club. The group does a lot of good and it is one of the ways I try to connect to the world outside of the church. It is so easy to become isolated in an ivory tower of theological irrelevance in the ministry. Belonging to a group like the Rotary Club or the volunteer fire department or even the local book club keeps us grounded in the real world.

While I was at the Rotary meeting I caught up with the Rabbi and we made a luncheon date. Last fall we talked about getting together to share a bit about our traditions after the new year. I think it is healthy to learn how other people of faith from different religions approach life, scripture and faith.

By 1:30 p.m. I was back at the office and deep into my writing for the newsletter. This edition is going out nearly ten days after the first of the year. It is going to be a big one though with lots of photos and news about what has happened over the holidays. In between stories I sent out a few emails to schedule upcoming meetings for the Executive Committee of our Baptist Nursing Home and the Personnel Committee of our State Convention. I happen to be chairing both of them right now. This time of year there are a lot of meetings and I have to admit the stress of being stretched between all the commitments does hit home. Usually all the meetings tend to be spread out a bit more.

At 3:00 p.m. I packed up my lap top and headed home. I had to meet my daughter there because she was having friends over. Before I left though I had a visit from a woman who visited our church for the first time last Sunday. She came in to ask for prayer and to introduce herself. I used to say that this is what I get paid for. Everything else is icing on the cake. I love to pray with people. A long time ago I learned that it is the one thing I can do, the one gift God gave me that I can share to help connect people directly to Him. When t happens it is magical.

I will never forget the day one of our softball players was seriously injured in a collision at home plate. I felt so impotent to do anything as I watched him lie there and we stood around waiting for an ambulance to come. I got on my knees beside him and prayed. As I did so, I felt him move. It was only afterwards that I realized the miracle. He had been paralyzed from the waist down after the accident. Afterwards he made a miraculous recovery. While I was rueing the fact that I couldn't do anything, God put it in my head that I was doing the one thing no one else could do. The doctors had their gifts and skills, and so did all the other medical personnel. But what was needed at that moment was for someone to pray with the faith of Moses.

Anyway, I left for home and got back on my laptop to do some more on the newsletter. I took a call from our Executive Minister about the upcoming meeting in Hartford and at 4:30 p.m. my eyes began to droop a bit so I decided to take a power nap. I laid down for twenty minutes, managed to doze off and got back up. I grabbed a bite to eat and then went back to church for a meeting of the Nominating committee at 6:00 p.m. We finished the meeting jut before 7:00 p.m. and I ran in to meet with the Praise team as they practiced for an upcoming service. After fifteen minutes there I decided to skip the Bible Study I was going to visit.

I needed to put in a little more work on this week's sermon and to begin putting down my thoughts for the weekly epistle for the newspaper. Both are due by mid morning on Thursday. So I went home and locked myself in the office at home until a few minutes ago when I thought I would share this glimpse into my day with you.

Well if you ever wondered what the minister does, now you know. I could have bored you with a few more stories but since this is going to be my longest blog entry ever and you have already stopped reading by now, I think I'll simply say good night.

I'll begin again in the morning and maybe I'll have something really fun to share.

Cal

More than just numbers on a page

Last night we engaged in one of the most mundane tasks of ministry and yet one of the most important. We finalized the budget for 2008 that we are going to present to the congregation at the Annual Meeting of the Church on January 27th.

I don't think the average person in the pew appreciates what goes into the process of making ministry happen in the local church. It begin with dreams and a vision of the way we can serve the Lord.Then the vision has to be communicated and lived out.

Some parts of that dream can be accomplished by people volunteering their time and energy. A good example of this is when someone volunteers to teach a Sunday School class or offers to cook the meal at the Interfaith luncheon. Our ushers on Sunday morning and members of the choir also are good examples of people who jump in and volunteer their gifts to make ministry happen. Each week it happens in dozens of ways and we could not serve God if it didn't.

The dream also requires money though. It calls for us to give to the ministry. Our money pays for oil to heat the sanctuary. It allows us to call a minister (thank you!) to lead us in worship, to help us grow in spirituality and to minister to our needs. Our giving supports the volunteer efforts of our congregational leaders by providing Sunday School materials, choir music, Bibles and hymnals, light bulbs and paint and so many other supplies.

When we put together a budget, it allows us to plan and be good stewards of God's ministry. So last night we celebrated your faithfulness in answer to our call for pledges and volunteers. It is going to be a good year. I pray that God will bless you for your part in this process and bless the ministry that we all have been called to be a part of in 2008.

The Christmas season comes to an end

Today marked the official end of the Christmas season at church. A group came in and took down the Christmas decorations in the sanctuary. Sunday marked the celebration of Epiphany which heralds the arrival of the three kings and the official end of the holiday.

As I reflect on all that happened at our Church this Christmas season I will take away some nice memories. Take a look at a few precious moments from Christmas 2007 in this slide show.

Cal

The adventure in New York

I mentioned that we went to see The Screwtape Letters last night in New York City. The play was excellent. C. S. Lewis wrote this very insightful work in 1941. In his book he turned the world upside down and inside out and gave us a glimpse of the Devil's point of view in the battle for souls.

It sounds silly, but Lewis manages to show us how temptation can really destroy us and lead us away from God. He shows us how the devil uses temptation to lure us into actions that we don't want to do. At the same time he reminds us that God only wants what is best for us. At one point the main character, Screwtape, laughs at the idea that God could really love us, but then admits that it appears to be true for there is no other explanation for all that God has done.

In this Broadway quality production that received great reviews at Playbill.com, Max Mclean plays Screwtape, the Undersecretary to the Devil, in charge of all tempters. He did an excellent job. Karen Eleanor Wight played Toadpipe, his personal secretary. She didn't speak a word but her facial expressions, grunts, hoots and playacting was so enjoyable.

The trip itself turned out to be an adventure and I think everyone had a good time. Here are so pictures from the outing.

We left the church at 10:00 a.m. and shot down Route 395 and then onto 95 straight into New York. At just after 12:30 we arrived in the Bronx and decided to park near Yankee Stadium because we needed to find an open air parking lot to accommodate the fifteen passenger van.

We took the subway down to 42 Street and then found a place to have lunch. We settled on the Europan Cafe and that was a good choice. After lunch we wandered down the street and enjoyed the sights. We made our way up to the theater at 3:15 p.m. and found that it was really an old Episcopal Church that was set up to host the theater. I was told they still have weekly worship services there and have an active congregation.

We met Steve and Patricia Ohlund there. They had come in early to visit family. We also met Becky Lord and one of her roommates there. Becky lives and works in Manhattan now.

The show lasted 90 minutes and it was well worth the trip into the city to see it. Afterwards we retraced our steps and although there were a few more "adventures" we made our way home. Someday in a sermon or an epistle you might hear a little more detail. But enough said for now.

Cal

Fun in the big apple

Well I was right. Today turned out to be quite an adventure. 19 of us enjoyed a very fine performance at the Theater of St. Clement. It is late now but I will fill you in on all the details and lots of pictures tomorrow. To tease you I am going to give you one picture tonight.

Cal

We are off to Broadway

I am so excited. I am so nervous. This morning a group of us from church are going into New York City to see a production of C. S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" at St. Clement's Theater on 46th Street. I am excited because the show has great reviews and just going to Broadway to see a show is a thrill. I am nervous because it means driving into the city with the Church van and finding a place to park. Well the hour of the adventure is almost upon us. There are 19 of us going so wish us well. I will post some photos either tonight or tomorrow.

If you want to check out the show you can go to http://www.fpatheatre.com.

Cal

Basketball Season Continues tonight

We got word this week that the second half of the Church Youth Basketball Season opens tonight when the FBC Young Bucks get back into action. coach Julio's team plays at Huntington School at 8:00 p.m.

We have four teams this year and all of them have winning records at this point. Julio Sanchez coaches the Young Bucks. Their record is 2-0. Jim Volpe and Jack Greenwood coach a second Varsity team. They are 2- 1 at this point. Fred Green coaches the third Varsity team and they are also 1-0.

Leonard Miller coaches our Junior Varsity team and they are 3-0 and off to a great start. I'll update you to the rest of the schedule when it comes out. For now, enjoy these pictures of our kids in action on the court.

Mid week drama at church - Not

Cleaning has been the word around the church this week. I started in my office and then moved to Sandy's office and out into the chapel. If you drop in you will see that this has been a bigger job than I imagined. There is still a pile left that needs to be put somewhere. I have included a few photos of the after results and one of the remaining "debris."








Cynthia and Rosie were also at work cleaning the rooms behind the stage in fellowship hall. They bought some shelving and began to assemble it and did a great job cleaning and organizing the rooms. There will be more to do in the coming days but this is a start.


This is the mundane and exciting part of church life that many people never see if they only stop by the church on Sunday mornings. I have also been sending thank you notes out today to folks who hosted our Progressive Dinner and the students who participated in our Youth Recognition Sunday. You might say that this is your "pledge dollars" at work here at First Baptist Church.

Cal

A glimpse of the future

On Sunday we celebrated our fourteenth annual Youth Recognition Sunday. Melissa Hauser was our student preacher and she gave an emotional message that pointed to God as the source of strength and our hope for the future. Melissa shared her struggles and how her new found faith was helping her find answers.

Lindsey Adams, Sarah Lord and Chris Adams all shared n the service and Chelsey Calkins, Emily DePina, Rachel Lord and Kristen Deptulski served as ushers.

Previous student preachers included;

2006 - Emily McFalls
2005 - Sarah Lord
2004 - Jaclyn Vanase
2003 - Casey Rezendes
2002 - Rebecca Lord
2001 - April Rezendes
2000 - Amanda Guillemette
1999 - Joanne Clubine Paulsen
1998 - Timothy Rezendes
1997 - Curtis Royce
1996 - Amy Brockway Meyer
1995 - Brian Goldin
1994 - Kate Strouse Canada

Cal

A progressive dinner

On Saturday December 29, 2007 we enjoyed our Progressive dinner. Twenty one people made the journey over hill and dale to enjoy a great night of food, fun and fellowship. We began in Gales Ferry at Nancy's house. We enjoyed appetizers there. We picked up and headed back to Norwich for our second course of soup and salad at Steve and Patricia's home.

We enjoyed more polite conversation and then headed across town to Dick and Cynthia's house for dinner. We had chicken cooked in various ways and summer vegetables. It was tasty and filling too. Then we headed back to Lori and Cal's place for dessert.

The night was a great success. Here are some photos so you can capture a bit of the feeling.