A time to celebrate.

The convention ends today and will spend the afternoon on Mission Beach. I hear they have a roller coaster there! I head home in the morning and I am excited to get back for worship on Sunday. Our Praise team is going to sing. Lori and Adele are going to give us a flute-piano offertory. We are going to commission our Mission Team. The combined choir will sing about the King of Love. Pastor Michelle is going to preach. We are going to com to the Lord's table as one big Baptist family. We are going to have lunch together. It is going to be a day that will glorify God from start to finish. I hope you will be there to greet God!
Cal

Long distance communication

I am still here in San Diego. I heard John Ortberg speak this morning. He is a Pastor from Menlo Park, CA and we used some of his DVD materials for Bible study last year. He was as good in person as he was on the DVD. As a matter of fact I picked up a copy of his new DVD Curriculum and will use it next fall for a Bible study. I am also picking up some other resources that we can use down the road.

This morning I was thinking about how much communication has changed in my twenty two years at the church. I finished the newsletter out here yesterday afternoon and emailed a PDF copy to Sandy in the office. She printed it out and it should go in the mail tomorrow.

I needed some information so I called a few people to get the answers. It didn't cost me a penny because I used the cell phone. Just before the morning session I emailed my weekly epistle to the Norwich Bulletin and to a good part of my list. I did from California this week and most people probably won't even know the difference. Then this afternoon I emailed Pastor Michelle about Sunday's service. I talked to Fred Green about the Praise team's plans and received an e-mail from Patricia Ohlund about flowers for Sunday.

Now all I need is to find someone to set up the pot-luck lunch on Sunday and make sure we have plates, cups, punch and coffee.

Anyway,m the conference has been good and I have lots of anecdotes to use in sermons, blogs and epistles for a while. I'll write more tomorrow!

Cal

Report from the Left Coast

I got a sneak preview into what some of our men are going to receive on May 10th. We are planning a trip to Worcester to the Iron Sharpens Iron Conference. Chuck Colson will be the featured speaker. I heard him this morning and he really makes you think. He spoke about the calling we have as the body of Christ. He just wrote a new book and he reiterates that we need to know what we believe so we can transform the world. I can't wait for our men to hear him.

Check out the newsletter and Sunday bulletins for more details. Today I spent some time working on the newsletter. Sandy is going to try and get it in the mail on Friday. It's a big one. The Newsletter crew is going to shoot me! I hope they have fun.

I also saw the premier of Ben Stein's new movie Expelled. It is a documentary that confronts the fact that Intelligent Design is being blackballed by the liberal media and scientific community. It was really thought provoking in the way Michael Moore and Al Gore's documentaries were. It comes out in April and everyone should go and see it, simply to be able to hear what we Christians really believe and what others are accusing us of believing.

Enough for now. I'll check in tomorrow.

Cal

Live from the mountain top

Today I am in San Diego, California for the National Pastor's conference. It is a great continuing education event sponsored by Zondervan and Inter Varsity Press Publishing Houses. They have a great line-up of speakers and several inspiring and thoughtt provoking workshops planned. It doesn't hurt that it is in Southern California in February either.

I love coming to these events and over the years the church has been generous in providing scholarship help so I can afford to get away. After the first session by Erwin McManus, it struck me that these conferences are like mountain top experiences. The preaching and worship are great. Being here recharges my batteries and fires me up for the ministry we do back home. It would be tempting to seek out events like this all year long, but I was reminded again today that our real job is to be engaged in ministry in the neighborhoods where our churches are.

So I'll be home on Saturday with some new ideas and we can take it from there. I'll check in with a report over the next few days and let you know what is happening. It's hard to believe I'm on the other side of the country now but these photos from the airport and my hotel room ought to prove it.

Cal

Our kids had a blast.

On Sunday night we had a youth group meeting and Fred Green got to host his first of the year with our kids. Up until this point he has been working with the other churches in joint projects. Fresh of a youth leaders retreat led by ABCCONN Volunteers, Fred was anxious to try a few ideas with the group.

The kids got together at 5:00 p.m. and got right to work digging through the Bible to find the ingredients for a "scripture cake." They read the verses and then mixed the elements together and put it in the oven to bake.

Then the kids played a memory game that helped them get to know a bit about each other. That was followed by a game of trust called "time bomb." The kids had a great time. While they were eating the cake they made. They made some plans for future meetings. Here are a few pictures from the meeting.

Cal

A family reunion

I love Sundays at church. Every week is like a family reunion. I think sometimes we get caught up in all the activity. All of us who are regulars at church are busy running around, getting ready for Sunday School or setting up for choir and worship. Sometimes the morning is fairly stressful, especially if it has been a hectic week at home. But when you really think about it, getting together to sing with friends or check in with people you have been with for a while is really special.

I like the people who make up our church family. You do too or else you probably wouldn't keep coming back. Many of us have forged friendships over time. We have been together in moments of crisis. We have celebrated good times together too! The people we greet each week have become a part of our lives.

I think that is why I look forward to special events at church .They give us the opportunity to visit and enjoy each other a little longer. Coffee hours after special Sundays, Bible studies and fellowship events like movie nights and progressive dinners are great times. Hey, even the time we spend at work parties and events like the Tag Sale can be fun because of the people we are with.

So know this. You are missed when you are away. So don't be a stranger. I'll see you next Sunday.

Saying good bye isn't easy

The snow could not stop what had already been set in motion earlier this week. Steve Roscoe passed away on Wednesday morning and today we had his funeral. I was at the Convalescent Home with Jean and Steve on Tuesday. The nurse had called to say that Steve was failing, and I went over to sit and pray with them.

Last night I went over to the house to meet with the family. Jean's daughter and her family had all come in for the funeral. We chatted for a while and shared stories about their dad and grandpa. Then we prayed together.

Today a small crowd gathered at the Church & Allen Funeral Home for the funeral. It was nice, as funerals go. Steve's daughter and two grand-daughters spoke and that helped personalize the service.

I hate funerals because they hurt so much. Maybe that is why I try to remind people of how fortunate we were to know the person who died. I have always said that Christian services should be the benediction, the last good word, on a life well lived. We get together to thank God for our dad or mom or wife or child , that person we are letting go of at the service. We can do that because our faith tells us that their future is already secure in God.

I try to make every service personal as my way to minister to the family. The prayers, the scriptures and the eulogy are all designed to reflect God's love and care for them. I think that happened today and even the snow couldn't stop it from happening.

Keep Jean and the family in your prayers tonight. She and Steve had been together over sixty years and married 59 1/2 years. She is really going to miss him even though she knows it is for the best and that he has gone home to be with the Lord.

Cal

People, places and things accomplished

Every once in a while I get to spend a whole day with people. My morning began with Rabbi Arian. We met for breakfast to talk about life, theology and the possibility of offering an interfaith Bible Study as an auction item for the Rotary Club event on March 14.

I got to church and did some work. We usually have office hours between 9:30 a.m. and noon on Monday through Thursday at the church. I'm there quite a bit, but if I am not there, Sandy is usually available to answer questions and provide information. Sometimes people drop by to say hello or just to pick up or drop things off. Today I had a number of visitors. Tom, Yolanda and Quincy all dropped by for short visits.

At 11:30 a.m. I headed off to meet Linda Lea Snyder, ABCCONN's Associate Executive Minister for lunch. We chatted about a couple of events that are coming up that I needed some more information on. One of the questions concerned a grant from ABCUSA National Ministries and a program that is aimed at helping churches becoming transforming communities. I am real excited about and will be looking for volunteers to become part of a missional church leadership team. I also asked her about the upcoming Spring Fling and the workshops that are aimed at helping church leaders grow.

I got back into town and stopped by to visit Jennifer and Mark. Then it was on to visit the Roscoe family to talk about the upcoming funeral.

After dinner, I went back to Church for our Deacon's Meeting. We talked about a number of thing that are happening at church. It was great. We noted the casserole brigade, the mission trip, the interfaith luncheons, the present and upcoming Bible studies, our worship with Central Baptist, the plans for Lent and Holy Week and a few other things.

As I got home, I sat down and began to reflect on a good day in the ministry.

Cal

Together in Christ

Tonight we participated in our third Lenten Journey. We were at the United Congregational Church for the service. It was nice. People from all six congregations were there. That is the best part of getting together for these services.

We see people we know from other churches. Phil Booker was there from Park Congregational Church and so was Amy Dunion. Tom and Sandy Jeffers were there from Lee Memorial United Methodist as were Dr. and Mrs. Glenney. Nancy and Mark Hopkins were there from Central Baptist along with John and Enid Thomas and their grand-daughter, Merlynda. It is always nice to see Maggie Schumaker, the organist from United Congregational. Sue Fage and the Sanborns were there from First Congregational.

I know some people only go to church to hear a good sermon or listen to a beautiful anthem or to sing their favorite hymns. There is another reason to go though. It is to glorify God. When we come together, putting our differences aside, we tell the world that Christ is the Lord of our lives. We tell the world that the church we worship in is not as important as worshiping God. We tell the world that Baptists, Methodists, and Congregationalists are one in the Spirit even though we worship in separate buildings on Sunday mornings.

We also affirm the faith of our neighbors. When we get together we celebrate each other's faith in Christ and the ministry God has called each of us to be a part of. So were you there tonight? If not, plan to join us next week at First Congregational Church in Norwichtown.

Cal

We begin a third year of feeding the hungry

This afternoon we kicked off our third year of serving at the monthly interfaith luncheon. Sue Ferguson and Cindy Carchidi cooked up kielbasa and baked beans for the folks. Shirley added a salad and Shop Rite provided bread and desserts for the folks.

Jim Volpe and Jack Greenwood and a few of the boys from the FBC Heat basketball team helped set up and serve. Buddy, Jania and their dad also helped. We served over fifty people on this cold February afternoon. I've included a few photos for you to enjoy.

We are always looking for help. We serve on the third Sunday of the month. We can use cooks to prepare and set up the meal, and helpers to set up, serve and clean up. speak to Cynthia Strouse or me if you want to help. It is great fun and you come away feeling like you have been blessed.

Cal

If you stopped by the church today you would think you were entering Grand Central Station. There was lots of activity as members of the Property Committee were working on a number of small projects. They repaired a few spots were the plaster was broken and did some painting. They measured the old kitchen door and are making plans to replace it. They also took measurements for the broken window in the kitchen that has been taped up for the last two years or more.

Our Property Committee is taking their charge serious and working on making this old building as nice as it can be. I thought I would share a few pictures of them in action today. By the way, you don't have to be on the Committee to help. Just speak to one of the members and ask what they are working on. They include Ray Deptulski, Mark Rogers, Randy Sargent, Pete Adams, Fred Stone, Nancy Allen, Chip Chaffee, Ray Henry and Steve Ohlund.

Cal

Something to look at

Today David and Karen Warfield dropped by the church to give me us a present. When I was at Central for the Wednesday night Lenten service I noticed the pulpit scarf that they had hanging up front. I was moved by it and after the service I asked Karen is she had bought it or if she had made it. When she indicated that she made it, I promptly asked her if she could make us one.

Visuals have the ability to excite our imagination. I remember several years ago Amy Rezendes and Allison Keithley made a number of banners for us to enjoy during Lent and Easter. We used them for several years and they added something different to our worship experience. The same thing happens when we add the candles and greens at Christmas.

We have a beautiful sanctuary with two marvelous stained glass windows depicting the Lord. When we add a few small touches here and there it stimulates our senses and helps us feel like we are truly on holy ground. I hope you enjoy the image on the pulpit as we talk about the human face of the great "I AM."


Cal

Weekly preparation for Sunday morning

It is Thursday and I am about to write this week's epistle. Many of you will have recieved it by the time you check in to this blog. I am writing about the shock of recieving my AARP Card in the mail last week.

I will also be finishing up the Sunday Bulletin for this weekend. A friend of mine asked me if I came up with the sermon and the elements of the service every week or if someone else did it. I know that in some churches the order of worship, the songs, prayers and scriptures are all pre-determined. You just go to a book and fill in the blanks. Not here. I do it all and then go to Adele to check on the anthem. For the last few years I have used the Common lectionary to pick my texts for a good part of the year. The lectionary is a tool that was developed by an ecumenical council that divided the Scriptures into four parts so that all of scripture could be read and reflected on in worship over the course of three years. They divide it up into the readings of the Gospels, the Epistles, the Psalms and the Old Testament.

I pick one of the scriptures to preach on. Then when I have my theme, I pick hymns to go with my message. I usually use the Psalm as the Responsive Reading. Cynthia Strouse and Adele Cofer have been pulling anthems out that can match some of the themes. It is cool when everything comes together.

Since the first of the year I have done something a little different. I have decided to preach two series of sermons that don't connect with the lectionary. In January I preached a series on themes in the book of Ezra. In Lent I am preaching a series on the "I AM" statements of Jesus. This week for example, I am preaching on "I am the Good Shepherd."

Oh well, I have procrastinated enough. I have got to get back to work. I'll write more later.

Cal

The Power of Prayer

Prayer has always been an important part of our ministry. From my first days here we had an ongoing weekly prayer meeting that focused on the needs of the community. In the late 1990's we transformed that group into a mid week prayer service. For the first time in twenty one years we ended that long line of weekly meetings in the summer of 2006. Since then we have had regular Bible Studies but their focus has been on other things. Prayer is always a part of the meeting, but for example, now we have a small group studying C.S. Lewis' "Meer Christianity." It is bathed in prayer but it is not the same.

The good news is that prayer has become a more integral part of our worship experience each week. In the last ten years we have had a dedicated time of prayer in the middle of our worship service. People often lift up friends, neighbors, situations in the community and world during this time. Our time of prayer is no longer just pastor led, but community driven.

I am hoping that we will once soon have another regular mid-week opportunity to gather for prayer. Look for an announcement sometime after Easter.

For today I want to lift up a few people for you to keep in your personal prayers; God knows the particulars so I won't go into them here. But please lift up their names before God when you pray in the coming days. Thank You.

Christian Fitchett and his family

Jennifer Marcy and her husband and daughters

Jean and Steve Roscoe

Michelle Lord

Donald Schoepfer

Judy Dupont

Bill Rossoll

The Lucien family, especially Noah and Benjamin

Bethany Stone

Melinda Brick

Robyn J. Choate, Jean and Tom Smith's daughter

Marge Booth

Doris Adams

Bob Duntz

Jim Volpe's dad

Luis Pabon

Michelle Jette

Gary Coborn

Thanks, Cal

P.S. I recently read the book "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Donald Piper and it is a wonderful testimony to the power of prayer. I am ordering a copy for our Church Library and I highly recommend it.

A three day recap

It is snowing tonight and so our activities at church were cut short. A couple of our teams had a practice scheduled and they were canceled. Choir met but we quickly went through our songs for the next two weeks and then went home early. Not before we got to enjoy the birthday cake Gwyn Green made though.

Last night three of our basketball teams played. The FBC Heat team had a great game and they won their third game of the season. The Wildcats stretched their unbeaten streak to eight games even though they were short handed. I want to say that the Young Bucks won, but I don't want to say something to jinx them. I haven't heard how they made out so I will let you know when I get word.

I was in Hartford last night in my final meeting as Past President of ABCCONN. The Executive Committee met and discussed the upcoming World Mission Conference that we are hosting here in Connecticut in September. It is going to be a great event an I hope a lot of our folks will be able to attend some or all of the sessions. I am even going to try and get one of the missionaries to come and preach in Norwich.



On Sunday night our kids were invited to join the kids from Central Baptist and First Congregational to cook and eat Stone Soup and watch the movie "Amazing Grace." Fred and two of our kids took part.

Over the last few days we finalized our roster for the Mexico Mission Trip and purchased all of our airplane tickets. We also secured the final mini van for our trip. It looks like we will have fifteen of us going. I'll write more on this in another entry.

Cal

Our first Open Mic

Tonight we hosted the Open Mic at church. Fred Green and the members of the Praise team offered to host the event a few months ago. For the last year or more the members of Christ Episcopal have done been hosting the event. It is a place where Christian artists can come and share their music and have some fun. Several of those who participate are pretty good.


Our fellowship hall was transformed into a coffee house. We have talked about doing something like this for a long time. Great ideas always seem to percolate at church for a while. This time Fred took the bull by the horns and made it happen.

Next month we are going to host another musical event. We are going to host a Praise Concert for young people. Our Praise team and a group from Rhode Island will be singing for kids from our church and other area congregations. The date is Friday, March 7. Look for more info in our newsletters and Sunday Bulletins.

Whatever happened to Luis Palau?

I continue to get reports from Luis Palau and his evangelistic association. Luis was here in Norwich in 2002 and he was a blessing to hundreds of people. Recently his son Andrew was in Egypt for a life changing festival. Below you can hear a report on the work God is doing through these men of God.

Cal

Prayer and purpose

This morning I visited a family that is going through a very difficult time. I stopped by to prayer for them. The mom is facing a serious health crisis and the dad is caring for her and their three girls. A few weeks ago I mentioned in church that we were looking for folks who can make a dinner/casserole for the family. This morning I talked to the family and told them that Sue Ferguson will be in charge of co-ordinating the efforts. Sue is making a schedule and setting up a rotation. If you would like to prepare something you can reach Sue at 822-6321. This will be a great help to Mark as he care for his wife and family.

This afternoon I picked up a new book to read entitled, "90 Minutes in Heaven" by Don Piper. It was given to me by Ken Taylor. It is a great book about a man who died and had a vision of heaven. Then he goes on to tell the miracle of his recovery from a terrible accident. The whole book is an amazing story that forces you to think about the power of prayer. I might suggest we read it together next fall.

I also ordered the curriculum for Rick Warren's "Purpose Filled Life" and hope to use it for a Bible Study after Easter.

As I was thinking about Don Piper's story, the difficulties of this family at church and Rick Warren's course, it struck me that we can learn so much from each other. As we come together and share our struggles and our stories, we can begin to discover the ways that God steps into our lives to bring us hope.

Cal

It Is Thursday at First Baptist

On Thursdays I try to lay out the Sunday Bulletin and get it ready for printing. I pick out the hymns and Sandy makes sure all the announcements are in place. Then we print it. Of course that is how it works in theory. Usually something else comes up that pushes the actually printing of the bulletin back to Friday afternoon or Saturday morning.

Sometimes we are working on the newsletter all week and that takes priority. Sometimes we are working on a special project like the Annual Report or a Stewardship campaign poster or slide show. Sandy is scheduled to work 12 hours a week in the office but these special events sometime have her working extra hours. She doesn't mind. She can usually skip out early on another day or take a few less hours in the summer. Anyway, after we finish up the bulletin Bob Walker comes in and folds them for Sunday morning. This week we will definitely have it ready for him on Friday morning.

The other job I handle on Thursday mornings is my weekly e-mail epistle. In a perfect world I would sit down and write it on Monday or Tuesday. Usually the week gets away from me though. The experiences during the week seem to add up and by Thursday one or two of these idea percolate enough to give me something interesting to say. This week I talked about the turkey vultures (as some of my readers have suggested they were.) A few weeks ago it was a traffic stop on Tuesday night. So on Thursday morning I sit down and write.

Today was a good day. I completed both tasks. Tomorrow I will actually try to finish up the sermon for Sunday. This week I begin the "I am" series of sermons that seek to describe the many sides of Jesus. This week's message focuses on John 14 and is entitled, "I am the Way." If you want to know more you will have to join us on Sunday.

Cal

A night on the town

I was laid low by flu like symptoms today so I didn't spend much time at the church. I checked in at mid-day and then came out this evening to make appearances at two events. Our annual Lenten Journey began tonight with a service at Park Congregational Church. Rev. Sidat Balgobin delivered the message.

We began this tradition in 1999 shortly after Rev. Balgobin came to Norwich. He called us together and suggested these services as a way of serving the community as a whole. Over the years we have had several different clergy come and go including Bruce Elsensohn, Jim Eaton, Shirley Hoover, Sheldon Keller, Betty Schrader, Bill Frost and a few interim pastors. Even so, the same spirit of fellowship has continued through the years and made this a very popular event. Next week we travel to Central Baptist Church. We will host the service on March 12.

After the Lenten service I stopped at church to catch the tail end of the baby shower for Stacia Green. She was up from Florida and her mom, Gwyn, surprised her with a party of family and friends. She is due in April. Stacia and her fiance Nick moved to Florida last fall.

Cal

FBC Young Bucks on line

Here are so photos from our second game last night. The Young Bucks ran their record to 6-1 with a victory over Sacred Heart. The game was close early on but the FBC team pulled away with solid defense and good play.

Cal

P.S. Could you pick out the New York Giant's fan in the crowd? Yes, he was the one with the big smile after their win in the Super Bowl. That's Ryan's dad!

A perfect season so far

Last night we had two games on our basketball schedule. The early game featured the FBC WildCats. They ran away with the game and improved to 7-0 on the season. Coach Leonard Miller is doing a good job keeping the kids focused. Here are some photos from last night's game.

Cal

The big day is coming

I received something in the mail yesterday that really gave me a wake up call. I received my AARP Card! Yikes! It is really true. I am turning fifty this year. The good news is that there are several others in the same boat rowing with me. Many of them are regulars at church. Others come on occasion. They include Pete Adams and Mark Rogers (Pictured to the right) Patty Bell, Leon Dalbec, Mark Damien, Ray Deptulski, Sue Ferguson, George Fratoni, Fred Green, Elizabeth Isenburg, Stephanie Mattos, and George Rezendes.

As we approached new years I decided we were going to have some fun with this at church. We are going to celebrate with all these half century- arians and have a party. On June 1, 2008 we are going to have a reception in their honor after church. During worship we will also look back at 1958 and see what was happening in society and in church. We will recognize our fifty year members. They include Edith Robinson (1928), Doris Wilcox Regets (1937), Jean Wilbur Roscoe (1939), Lois Peckham Lopez (1944), Bruce Royce (1952), June Pendelton (1953), Doris Adams (1954), Marge Meyer Booth (1954), Carolyn Benker (1955), Charles Hamblen (1955), Bonnie Royce Koch (1955), Gorge Strouse (1956), Elaine Bromley Berrie (1957), and Jean Macht Smith (1958).

We are also going to recognize our couples who have been married 50 years or more. That includes, Jean and Steve Roscoe, Bob & Marge Booth, Dick and Elizabeth Strong, Al and Sue Damien, and Dot and Harry Calkins.

We may even recognize others who are celebrating big days. For example I know three of our members who will celebrate the big 6-0. We might include them in the celebration just so some of us can have hope that 50 is not the end of the world :-)

It is going to be a great day and lots of fun. Stay tuned and you will hear more about it in the coming weeks.

Cal

Now you know who does all the work

Today was like the calm after the rain storm. Between getting ready for the Annual Meeting and preparing the newsletter to go out, we have been working at full steam. This morning Sandy and I did some catching up in the office. Actually, I should say Sandy did the catching up in case you thought I actually did some work in the office. She was busy typing away and getting letters ready to go out announcing our next big event. On Sunday we will be recognizing our new church officers and committee members and asking God to bless them in their work. In order for that to happen we have to send out about fifty letters congratulating people and inviting them to join us for the installation and dedication.

While Sandy was slaving away at the computer, I was out running around. I stopped at Staples to buy some supplies. I dropped in to visit a few people and I came back to sort the mail! I have a tough job, I know :-) This evening I got to do some more running. I went to our church league basketball games and took a bunch of pictures. The Wild Cats beat Sacred Heart easily and improved to 7 - 0 on the season. Then the Young Bucksbeat Sacred Heart's Varsity team to improve their record to 6-1. I'll have some photos to share tomorrow. I am going to put a number of these together to form a slide show for Basketball Recognition Sunday on March 9th.

That's all for now. Cal.

A Super night

Final - New York Giants 17 New England Patriots 14
Congrats to the Giants fans for the victory! Congrats to the Patriots on a great season.

We watched Super Bowl XLII and saw the Giants come back to take the lead late in the game. This last quarter has gone back and forth. The Pats came back late but the Giants answered. It has been a defensive struggle with both teams looking very bad on offense until the very end. Some will say this was a great Super Bowl when they look at the score. But if the game was all there was, it would be a boring night.

The good news is that tonight we met to watch the game at Rosie Main's house in East Lyme. There has been some good conversation, good food and lots of fun, including the completion of another puzzle. Here's a few pictures from game time.

Cal

Together in Christ

Things will begin to settle down at church as we turn the corner into February. Yesterday I read that the ground hog saw it's shadow so we will have six more weeks of winter. Well I don't know if that means anything for our life at FBC. It is always busy no matter what season we are going through. This morning we worshiped with Central Baptist. I preached a message entitled, "Come Closer" and our combined choir sang "Holy Ground." We ended the morning around the communion table. I think the service was very inspiring.

The day actually began with Sunday School. We met in the sanctuary at Central and broke up into small groups that allowed us to share our stories and get to know each other. It was truly a generational event.

After worship we gathered in Bushnell Hall for a pot-luck lunch. It was fun sitting around the tables and chatting about life and church. Next month we will do it all again at First Baptist. The talks about merger are definitely on hold. They may or may not arise again somewhere down the road. I think that is in God's hands. For now, we can enjoy these moments of worship, prayer and ministry together and be blessed to know we have friends across the river.

Here are some photos from this morning's gathering. I'm sorry I didn't get any at worship but Janet Jeffcoat of Central took a few and I will post them when she gets them to me.

Cal

A Sunday in communion with each other

This Sunday we will take to the road and worship with our sisters and brothers at Central Baptist Church in downtown Norwich. Sunday School begins at 9:08 a.m. and worship will be at 10:30 a.m. I'll be preaching a message entitled, "Come Closer" based upon Moses' encounter with the burning bush in Exodus 32. The best part of the service is sure to be either the combined choir anthem or our coming together around the communion table.

A pot luck luncheon is planed for after the service so bring a dish to share.

Cal