Looking back on 2002
Nancy Allen became the new moderator this year and Debbie Muyres became the church clerk. It was a year of transition and change. Buffy McFalls became the treasurer and Mary Brockway took over as Sunday School Superintendent. Rosie Main was the Property Committee Chair and Amy Rezendes served as Flower Committee Chair.
Ray and June Deptulski donated a van to the church and we put it right to use by taking 28 kids on a ski trip to Ski Sundown. Then on July 20th we set off for Daytona Beach on a youth mission trip with 13 kids and four adults. We used our new van and a second one donated by Charles Toyota to make the journey. Along the way we stopped in Washington, D.C. to see the Viet Nam War Memorial and a few of the other monuments. We also went to Six Flags again and took 73 people with us. In 2002 Roland Widstrom earned his Eagle Scout Award and we were so proud of him. We also gave out our first college scholarship. The recipient was Adam Barber. He received $300. In December we had a youth retreat at Camp Wightman and Timothy Rezendes and Jonathan Vanase led the music and devotionals.
We installed new windows in the sanctuary and the parlor and raised money with a "Let the Light In" campaign. We made some real progress in making our church parlor a more inviting place by reupholstering the chairs and coaches and giving the room a fresh coat of paint. Money for the project came from the Paul and Esther Lorraine Memorial funds. Gwyn Green organized a group of people to cook up meals for folks coming out of the hospital and Jill Haelsen and Diane Nesslrode helped out with the youth groups. Karen Murray offered a coupon class and Debbie Muyres and Fran Rogers helped Gwyn Green put together some "College Care Packages" for our college kids.
We met for prayer and worship on Wednesday nights and this year Steve Contois accepted the call and began playing guitar for us. Before long we had the beginning of a "praise team." Cliff Vanase, Brian Goldin, Oliver Bray and Fred and Gwyn Green played guitar and sang vocals. We also had a Men's Group meeting once a month for breakfast and Bible Study.
Carol Calkins, Sharon Fishkin, Sandy Stone, Nick Muyres, Mark A. Kane, Ashley West, Randy Sargent, Michael Capps and Elizabeth Parker were baptized. Cheryl Dutrumble, Mark, Pam and Cassie Kane, Greg Maxim, Penny Sargent, and Fred Stone joined them by becoming church members. Amber Diehl, Mick Mehlinger, Adam Dutrumble, Nicole Maxim, Preston Lavalle, Madison Pestey and Lukas Poore were all dedicated at church. Regina Grillo and Robert Mynes were married and Harry and Dot Calkins renewed their wedding vows after 50 year of marriage and Randy and Penny Sargent did the sam after 25 years. It was a tough year in terms of losing members. Cliff Oat, Henry Pendleton, Louise Blair, Nancy Kimble and Elsie Hamblen passed away. We also lost friends of the church in James Whitely, Ruby Merriman and Jacob Shutski.
I was in community theater productions and groups from the church came out to both of them. In the Spring I played Linus in "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown." In the Fall Brian Goldin and Rachel Lord joined me on the stage in the play "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." We closed the year with our own production. The kids put on the annual pageant and we had about 170 people on hand. There were twenty angels in the show alone. It was great.
It was a very good year.
Cal
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Looking back at the last decade at FBC - 2001
2001
Looking back at 2001 in the life of FBC
We built on the success of our Anniversary year by planning some very special events in 2001. The result of one such effort was the establishment of our college scholarship fund. We held an art auction in April and hosted illusionist David Reed Brown in the fall and raised over $6,000 for the cause. We established a Sports Ministry Hall of Fame and inducted Barbara Bray, Bob Duntz and Terry Dunn in as the first class along with sports ministry founders Paul Lorraine, Mark Damien and Cliff Vanase. We also bought a keyboard for the choir and Sunday School to use in their ministry.
On June 25th we canceled services at our church and moved them to Providence, Rhode Island and invited everyone to attend worship at the Biennial Meeting of the American Baptist Churches USA. We had twenty five us make the trip. We also took an active role in bringing evangelist Luis Palau to speak at a Festival at Dodd Stadium. Over 120,000 attended the event before it was over and 8,200 people gave their lives to Christ. When the events of September 11th occurred, we joined in the services and vigils held in the city as we prayed for the victims of the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil. At Thanksgiving we joined with the community in a special service at Beth Jacob Synagogue. We also participated in a series of rotating Lenten services with our sister churches in the city for a second year in a row. We also became charter members of the ecumenical church council called Norwich Churches Together.
Fred Green Sr. cooked up a roast beef dinner for the Mother- Daughter Banquet. Members of the Rose City Barbershoppers performed for the ladies. We had a pot luck supper that featured an international flavor as we hosted missionaries John and Rosemary Kane. Our youth group traveled to Providence for the Biennial meetings and also took their traditional field trips to Ski Sundown, Six Flags and the Word of Life Super Bowl. We had a good year but were sad to see Kay Lautzenheiser leave us as our youth consultant in September.
Amanda Brown was baptized and Karen and Guy Brown, Cheryl and Wayne LaMothe and Peter Kolasa all joined the church. Paige Briggs, Cody and Michael Jones and Madayln Fishkin were all dedicated in church services. I performed the wedding of Kate Strouse and Chris Canada, Don Shogren and Claire Kornatz and Bill Maynard and Pam Walberg. We also lost our oldest member, Mary Mehrholz, along with Will Willey and Bernice Rogoff to death.
We purchased a new software program to help us keep track of membership and finances at church. Two fairly new computers were donated to help with the transition. The AmeriCares Mobile Clinic continued to serve the working poor in our community by meeting in our parking lot and using our facilities.
Our average attendance in 2001 was 109 people each week. Our budget recorded $80,000 in pledges and we had commitment for $83,500 for 2002.
It was quite a year in the life of our FBC family.
Looking back at 2001 in the life of FBC
We built on the success of our Anniversary year by planning some very special events in 2001. The result of one such effort was the establishment of our college scholarship fund. We held an art auction in April and hosted illusionist David Reed Brown in the fall and raised over $6,000 for the cause. We established a Sports Ministry Hall of Fame and inducted Barbara Bray, Bob Duntz and Terry Dunn in as the first class along with sports ministry founders Paul Lorraine, Mark Damien and Cliff Vanase. We also bought a keyboard for the choir and Sunday School to use in their ministry.
On June 25th we canceled services at our church and moved them to Providence, Rhode Island and invited everyone to attend worship at the Biennial Meeting of the American Baptist Churches USA. We had twenty five us make the trip. We also took an active role in bringing evangelist Luis Palau to speak at a Festival at Dodd Stadium. Over 120,000 attended the event before it was over and 8,200 people gave their lives to Christ. When the events of September 11th occurred, we joined in the services and vigils held in the city as we prayed for the victims of the worst terrorist attack ever on American soil. At Thanksgiving we joined with the community in a special service at Beth Jacob Synagogue. We also participated in a series of rotating Lenten services with our sister churches in the city for a second year in a row. We also became charter members of the ecumenical church council called Norwich Churches Together.
Fred Green Sr. cooked up a roast beef dinner for the Mother- Daughter Banquet. Members of the Rose City Barbershoppers performed for the ladies. We had a pot luck supper that featured an international flavor as we hosted missionaries John and Rosemary Kane. Our youth group traveled to Providence for the Biennial meetings and also took their traditional field trips to Ski Sundown, Six Flags and the Word of Life Super Bowl. We had a good year but were sad to see Kay Lautzenheiser leave us as our youth consultant in September.
Amanda Brown was baptized and Karen and Guy Brown, Cheryl and Wayne LaMothe and Peter Kolasa all joined the church. Paige Briggs, Cody and Michael Jones and Madayln Fishkin were all dedicated in church services. I performed the wedding of Kate Strouse and Chris Canada, Don Shogren and Claire Kornatz and Bill Maynard and Pam Walberg. We also lost our oldest member, Mary Mehrholz, along with Will Willey and Bernice Rogoff to death.
We purchased a new software program to help us keep track of membership and finances at church. Two fairly new computers were donated to help with the transition. The AmeriCares Mobile Clinic continued to serve the working poor in our community by meeting in our parking lot and using our facilities.
Our average attendance in 2001 was 109 people each week. Our budget recorded $80,000 in pledges and we had commitment for $83,500 for 2002.
It was quite a year in the life of our FBC family.
Looking back at the last decade at FBC - 2000
Looking Back at 2000
We began the decade in the midst of our 200th Anniversary celebration. It began in September 1999 with an all church banquet at the Ramada. At that dinner George W. Strouse announced that our Capital Campaign had been a success and that we had raised more than enough money to go ahead with the addition to the church. The addition at the front of the church and the McNeely Organ were to be the lasting pieces of the Anniversary. George H. Strouse Jr. gave a donation to cover the cost of the organ and the campaign raised over $150,000 for the construction which would include accessibility into Fellowship Hall on ground level, two bathrooms downstairs and one upstairs, and a pastoral study. In October 1999 we held a Gospel Festival with the Shiloh Baptist Gospel Choir and the Morgan sisters from Boston. We hosted the Annual Choir Festival in November and in December we closed the year with a very special pageant which featured Brian Goldin and our children. The play was called "The Late, Great Potentate and was directed by Kay Lautzenheiser.
All this set the stage for our entry into the first year of a new millennium and the start of our third century of ministry in the city of Norwich. Curt Brockway was the Moderator. Lee McFalls was the treasurer and George Rezendes was the Collector. Lori Lord was the Sunday School Superintendant. Cliff Vanase was chair of the Deacons. Oliver Bray was chair of the Reception Committee and Kathy Duntz chaired the Flower Committee and Buffy McFalls was the Clerk.
The Anniversary Celebration continued with the dedication of the new addition in January, a performance by the Amazing Earl in February, hosting the West Virginians from Alderson Broaddus and Turning Point from Eastern College in March, "Oh What a Morning" an Easter Cantata in April, some historical vignettes in May and June and the final three day weekend celebration in July. City Council President Richard Abele, State Senator Edith Prague, State Reps Peter Nystrom and Jack Malone were among the special guests at the final celebration. former pastor, Orey Gracey was also on hand and he shared some memories on Sunday morning. Other guests include Rev. & Mrs. George Lang, Mrs. Jane Price, Mrs. Marilyn Gracey Robblee, and Dr. Lowell Fewster the Executive Minister of ABCCONN.
The closing weekend celebration included a public baptism service at Spaulding Pond. The candidates included Amanda Calkins, Stacia Green (now Grange), Jacqueline Jones, Sarah Lord, Emily McFalls, Casey Rezendes, and Jonathan Vanase. Sean Jones, Bob and Helen Walker joined them in being welcomed into church membership on Homecoming Sunday, July 16, 2000. Other new members that joined in 2000 were Karen Barber, Fran Rogers, Jill Haelsen, Wanda Nickell, Elizabeth and Rev. Richard Strong,
New "Sing Joyfully" hymnals were given by Lois Lopez and new pew Bibles were given by Helen and Bob Walker in memory of loved ones. We chose the New International Version for our Bibles to replace the Revised Standard Version we had used for over thirty years. We celebrated Adele DiBiagio's twentieth anniversary with the church and my fifteenth year with special days.
The softball team won the B Division Championship in 2000 and we sent a team of youth out to the ASBCUSA National Youth Gathering ID2K in Estes Park, Colorado. Fred Green and Don Fuller coached our youth basketball teams. Ken & Laura Kreger, Nancy Sederquest (Schuster now) and Will Willey won the League Championship for the Baptist Bowlers. Rosie Main and Geri Diehl ran our annual Tag sale.
We had pledges of $77, 516 for 2000 and the budget for 2001 called for an increase to $80,000. Our average attendance at morning worship for the year was 116. We lost one member, Anna Bjorn to death and Gary Teczar, Sarah Hensley and Vicky French were removed at their request.
All in all it was quite a year. 2000 the first year of the last decade.
Cal
We began the decade in the midst of our 200th Anniversary celebration. It began in September 1999 with an all church banquet at the Ramada. At that dinner George W. Strouse announced that our Capital Campaign had been a success and that we had raised more than enough money to go ahead with the addition to the church. The addition at the front of the church and the McNeely Organ were to be the lasting pieces of the Anniversary. George H. Strouse Jr. gave a donation to cover the cost of the organ and the campaign raised over $150,000 for the construction which would include accessibility into Fellowship Hall on ground level, two bathrooms downstairs and one upstairs, and a pastoral study. In October 1999 we held a Gospel Festival with the Shiloh Baptist Gospel Choir and the Morgan sisters from Boston. We hosted the Annual Choir Festival in November and in December we closed the year with a very special pageant which featured Brian Goldin and our children. The play was called "The Late, Great Potentate and was directed by Kay Lautzenheiser.
All this set the stage for our entry into the first year of a new millennium and the start of our third century of ministry in the city of Norwich. Curt Brockway was the Moderator. Lee McFalls was the treasurer and George Rezendes was the Collector. Lori Lord was the Sunday School Superintendant. Cliff Vanase was chair of the Deacons. Oliver Bray was chair of the Reception Committee and Kathy Duntz chaired the Flower Committee and Buffy McFalls was the Clerk.
The Anniversary Celebration continued with the dedication of the new addition in January, a performance by the Amazing Earl in February, hosting the West Virginians from Alderson Broaddus and Turning Point from Eastern College in March, "Oh What a Morning" an Easter Cantata in April, some historical vignettes in May and June and the final three day weekend celebration in July. City Council President Richard Abele, State Senator Edith Prague, State Reps Peter Nystrom and Jack Malone were among the special guests at the final celebration. former pastor, Orey Gracey was also on hand and he shared some memories on Sunday morning. Other guests include Rev. & Mrs. George Lang, Mrs. Jane Price, Mrs. Marilyn Gracey Robblee, and Dr. Lowell Fewster the Executive Minister of ABCCONN.
The closing weekend celebration included a public baptism service at Spaulding Pond. The candidates included Amanda Calkins, Stacia Green (now Grange), Jacqueline Jones, Sarah Lord, Emily McFalls, Casey Rezendes, and Jonathan Vanase. Sean Jones, Bob and Helen Walker joined them in being welcomed into church membership on Homecoming Sunday, July 16, 2000. Other new members that joined in 2000 were Karen Barber, Fran Rogers, Jill Haelsen, Wanda Nickell, Elizabeth and Rev. Richard Strong,
New "Sing Joyfully" hymnals were given by Lois Lopez and new pew Bibles were given by Helen and Bob Walker in memory of loved ones. We chose the New International Version for our Bibles to replace the Revised Standard Version we had used for over thirty years. We celebrated Adele DiBiagio's twentieth anniversary with the church and my fifteenth year with special days.
The softball team won the B Division Championship in 2000 and we sent a team of youth out to the ASBCUSA National Youth Gathering ID2K in Estes Park, Colorado. Fred Green and Don Fuller coached our youth basketball teams. Ken & Laura Kreger, Nancy Sederquest (Schuster now) and Will Willey won the League Championship for the Baptist Bowlers. Rosie Main and Geri Diehl ran our annual Tag sale.
We had pledges of $77, 516 for 2000 and the budget for 2001 called for an increase to $80,000. Our average attendance at morning worship for the year was 116. We lost one member, Anna Bjorn to death and Gary Teczar, Sarah Hensley and Vicky French were removed at their request.
All in all it was quite a year. 2000 the first year of the last decade.
Cal
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Our last service of the year
This morning we replayed the service that was supposed to happen last Sunday at church. We canceled church due to the blizzard but decided to celebrate Christmas Sunday today. That meant adding our service of believer's baptism and welcome of new members to the order of worship but it seemed to fit. We not only celebrated Christmas but also closed off the year on a high note.
Our choir got things started with an introit that rocked the house. It was titled, "Celebrate." Lori Lord was the worship assistant and she greeted us all and invited us to welcome our neighbors. Then we moved into the baptism where Lisa Lapointe professed her faith.
Baptism is a beautiful way to express what god is doing in our lives. Over the years we have heard many stories from people who have seen God work miracles and seen people come forward in this service. After Lisa was baptized the congregation broke out in applause just as I am sure the angels were doing in heaven. We also got applause as we welcomed Cheryl Dimmock and Rachelle Weimer into membership along with Lisa. Curt Brockway extended the right hand of Christian Fellowship to them on behalf of the congregation.
There was lots of special music today. Rachel, Sarah and Rachel Lord sang their trio again and this time it was even better than the first time they did it on Christmas Eve. Our choir sang "Rejoice for Christ is Born" and it was great. Our Praise team sang "Blessed Be" and we even had a mini carol sing.
It was a great day.
Cal
Our choir got things started with an introit that rocked the house. It was titled, "Celebrate." Lori Lord was the worship assistant and she greeted us all and invited us to welcome our neighbors. Then we moved into the baptism where Lisa Lapointe professed her faith.
Baptism is a beautiful way to express what god is doing in our lives. Over the years we have heard many stories from people who have seen God work miracles and seen people come forward in this service. After Lisa was baptized the congregation broke out in applause just as I am sure the angels were doing in heaven. We also got applause as we welcomed Cheryl Dimmock and Rachelle Weimer into membership along with Lisa. Curt Brockway extended the right hand of Christian Fellowship to them on behalf of the congregation.
There was lots of special music today. Rachel, Sarah and Rachel Lord sang their trio again and this time it was even better than the first time they did it on Christmas Eve. Our choir sang "Rejoice for Christ is Born" and it was great. Our Praise team sang "Blessed Be" and we even had a mini carol sing.
It was a great day.
Cal
Christmas Eve at First Baptist
On Christmas Eve we gathered two times to celebrate the birth of our our Lord.
Our first service was at 7:00 p.m. Over the last twenty years we have made this a "family friendly service" We include drama, special music and always include a short homily. The hour long service moves right along and keeps even most of the young ones involved.
This year we brought the story to life by providing living snapshots of the characters in the Biblical story. As the scriptures were read, members of the congregation came forward in costume and were captured in photo like poses. Roy Bourque lent his lights and his talent to the project. On Tuesday he came down to the church and set up the light poles and spots. On Thursday night he put them to work.
The service began with the traditional lighting of the candles. About fifty years ago Gladys Johnson, the Flower Committee chair, had her husband Elmer make the poles and the candle holders which sit atop them. Each year since then we have lit the candles at the start of our Christmas Eve service. The candle lighters have varied over the years. There have been some nice traditions in this regard. For over twenty years Brent and Christ Weimer were among those called to do the job. Many other father-son teams have also had turns. This year Tim and Casey Rezendes did the honors along with Curt and Jeff Brockway. The Rezendes boys were back in town for the service and I thought it would be nice to call on them. Tim and his family live in Pennsylvania now. Casey lives in Maryland.
Two hundred and five people were in attendance as we began the service. The lights were dimmed and the men began lighting the candles and Lori Lord and Steve Contois offered a flute- guitar duet of the Christmas classic, "O Holy Night." After welcoming everyone and offering a call to worship, we sang "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Then four ladies came forward to light the candles of the advent wreath. Betsey Adams, Nancy Allen, Patricia Ohlund and Zelda Fellows read portions of the scriptures from Psalm 46, Isaiah 35, Philippians 5 and Luke 1.
Mary Brockway, Cliff Vanase and I served as narrators for the program and each of us took turns reading the scriptures as the program progressed. After an opening prayer, Mary Brockway, Adele DiBiagio and Cynthia Strouse sang "Child of Light" in three part harmony. These ladies have become a Christmas Eve tradition at First Baptist. I'll have to research how many years in a row they have sung. We call them our Christmas Triette!
The spotlight went up on Mary, played by Pam Kane, as the scripture concerning her encounter with the angel was read. The choir sang the anthem, "All is Well" and then the spotlight came up on Joseph as his story was read. Steve Contois played Joseph in our production this year. After singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" Joseph and Mary were together as we heard there was no room for them at the Inn.
As the spot light came up on the baby in the manger, Shawn Rucker sang "Sleep Little Baby." Then we were bedazzled by the angels. Helen Walker, Becky Lord and April Rezendes all bore angel wings for the snapshot. Hearing their song were Fred Green, Oliver Bray and Pete Adams who stood in as the shepherds. They were followed by the three wise men, Bob Walker, Curt Brockway and Mark Kane.
After the Magi shared their gifts, Patricia Ohlund sang "The Birthday of a King." Afterwards we all got into the act of giving by making our own offering. My message was titled, Unwrapping the Gift of Love" and I encouraged people to see Christmas for what it really was. It's not a nice story about a baby, shepherds, angels and wise men. It is a tale about the depth of God's love for us and what he was willing to do on our behalf. I encouraged everyone to unwrap this gift of love and carry it with them all year long.
We closed out the service by singing "Silent Night," accompanied by the Praise Team. As we sang we lit our candles and were told to share the light of God's love with everyone we met. With that, another Family service was in the books.
Here is a slide show with shots of the event.
We came back at 11:30 p.m. for our second service. This service is nice because it starts on Christmas eve and then breaks into the Christmas morn. We have been hosting this service just about every year since 1986. We usually get about 40 -50 people in attendance. This year we had 45 people on hand. We use a traditional service of scriptures and carols and it hasn't changed much over the years. We filter in one or two pieces of special music and add a short homily.
This year Rachel, Sarah and Lori Lord sang a beautiful trio. Lori and Steve Contois also gave us a reprise of their flute guitar duet of "O Holy Night." We finished up by lighting our candles and we were out the door and heading home on a beautiful Christmas morning at 12:15 a.m.
Our first service was at 7:00 p.m. Over the last twenty years we have made this a "family friendly service" We include drama, special music and always include a short homily. The hour long service moves right along and keeps even most of the young ones involved.
This year we brought the story to life by providing living snapshots of the characters in the Biblical story. As the scriptures were read, members of the congregation came forward in costume and were captured in photo like poses. Roy Bourque lent his lights and his talent to the project. On Tuesday he came down to the church and set up the light poles and spots. On Thursday night he put them to work.
The service began with the traditional lighting of the candles. About fifty years ago Gladys Johnson, the Flower Committee chair, had her husband Elmer make the poles and the candle holders which sit atop them. Each year since then we have lit the candles at the start of our Christmas Eve service. The candle lighters have varied over the years. There have been some nice traditions in this regard. For over twenty years Brent and Christ Weimer were among those called to do the job. Many other father-son teams have also had turns. This year Tim and Casey Rezendes did the honors along with Curt and Jeff Brockway. The Rezendes boys were back in town for the service and I thought it would be nice to call on them. Tim and his family live in Pennsylvania now. Casey lives in Maryland.
Two hundred and five people were in attendance as we began the service. The lights were dimmed and the men began lighting the candles and Lori Lord and Steve Contois offered a flute- guitar duet of the Christmas classic, "O Holy Night." After welcoming everyone and offering a call to worship, we sang "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." Then four ladies came forward to light the candles of the advent wreath. Betsey Adams, Nancy Allen, Patricia Ohlund and Zelda Fellows read portions of the scriptures from Psalm 46, Isaiah 35, Philippians 5 and Luke 1.
Mary Brockway, Cliff Vanase and I served as narrators for the program and each of us took turns reading the scriptures as the program progressed. After an opening prayer, Mary Brockway, Adele DiBiagio and Cynthia Strouse sang "Child of Light" in three part harmony. These ladies have become a Christmas Eve tradition at First Baptist. I'll have to research how many years in a row they have sung. We call them our Christmas Triette!
The spotlight went up on Mary, played by Pam Kane, as the scripture concerning her encounter with the angel was read. The choir sang the anthem, "All is Well" and then the spotlight came up on Joseph as his story was read. Steve Contois played Joseph in our production this year. After singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" Joseph and Mary were together as we heard there was no room for them at the Inn.
As the spot light came up on the baby in the manger, Shawn Rucker sang "Sleep Little Baby." Then we were bedazzled by the angels. Helen Walker, Becky Lord and April Rezendes all bore angel wings for the snapshot. Hearing their song were Fred Green, Oliver Bray and Pete Adams who stood in as the shepherds. They were followed by the three wise men, Bob Walker, Curt Brockway and Mark Kane.
After the Magi shared their gifts, Patricia Ohlund sang "The Birthday of a King." Afterwards we all got into the act of giving by making our own offering. My message was titled, Unwrapping the Gift of Love" and I encouraged people to see Christmas for what it really was. It's not a nice story about a baby, shepherds, angels and wise men. It is a tale about the depth of God's love for us and what he was willing to do on our behalf. I encouraged everyone to unwrap this gift of love and carry it with them all year long.
We closed out the service by singing "Silent Night," accompanied by the Praise Team. As we sang we lit our candles and were told to share the light of God's love with everyone we met. With that, another Family service was in the books.
Here is a slide show with shots of the event.
We came back at 11:30 p.m. for our second service. This service is nice because it starts on Christmas eve and then breaks into the Christmas morn. We have been hosting this service just about every year since 1986. We usually get about 40 -50 people in attendance. This year we had 45 people on hand. We use a traditional service of scriptures and carols and it hasn't changed much over the years. We filter in one or two pieces of special music and add a short homily.
This year Rachel, Sarah and Lori Lord sang a beautiful trio. Lori and Steve Contois also gave us a reprise of their flute guitar duet of "O Holy Night." We finished up by lighting our candles and we were out the door and heading home on a beautiful Christmas morning at 12:15 a.m.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Preparations for Christmas Eve
On Monday morning I worked on pulling all the pieces of the Christmas Eve Family service together. I had all the basics laid out. Lori Lord had arranged special music. Adele DiBiagio and the choir had an anthem planned. The Praise Team had been working with Adele to close out the service with the singing of Silent Night. The Flower Committee had arranged the display on the platform to accommodate our nativity. Roy Bourque had agreed to come in and set up lighting to accent our program. The only thing left to do was adapt the Christmas Eve service I found on line to fit what we wanted to do.
I spent the first hour modifying the service and adding in our special music. By the time I finished, the service was looking pretty good. Roy came in this morning and we set up the lighting. It will feature two spots on the characters and one that will highlight the manger. Adele and I experimented with the sanctuary lighting and made some decisions on how to set the levels for the service. Then at choir rehearsal we worked out some more of the logistics with the music and participants. I also got some volunteers to take part on the service.
I can't wait until Christmas Eve. The service should be very inspirational as we gather to revisit the greatest story ever told. The best part of it all is that we get to do it twice on Christmas eve.
I spent the first hour modifying the service and adding in our special music. By the time I finished, the service was looking pretty good. Roy came in this morning and we set up the lighting. It will feature two spots on the characters and one that will highlight the manger. Adele and I experimented with the sanctuary lighting and made some decisions on how to set the levels for the service. Then at choir rehearsal we worked out some more of the logistics with the music and participants. I also got some volunteers to take part on the service.
I can't wait until Christmas Eve. The service should be very inspirational as we gather to revisit the greatest story ever told. The best part of it all is that we get to do it twice on Christmas eve.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
One on one service at lunch
Church services were canceled today. Youth Group was canceled too. But we still hosted the monthly interfaith luncheon at St. Marks. I was a little worried because their driveway hadn't been plowed when I went by at 11:30 a.m. When I stopped back at 12:30 p.m. the driveway was plowed and the driver was just plowing the parking lot.
Sue and Dave Kogut cooked the meal today. They made up a real nice ham dinner. We didn't know what to expect with the weather. Sue came prepared to feed up to sixty. As it turned out there were only 8 brave souls who came out. It was real nice though. We actually served them and then sat and ate with them. I sat with a couple who asked me about our Christmas eve services. We chatted and I learned a lot about them. Unlike most months where we are racing around trying to feed everyone, today we got to spend time with the folks we see month after month at these meals. It was real nice.
Erica Corbett, Michelle and Elsie Chaffee showed up to help serve. Sue's friend Jen and her daughter, Amy came to help in the kitchen. For a while we had as many helpers as we did diners. You can't get better service than that.
Cal
Sue and Dave Kogut cooked the meal today. They made up a real nice ham dinner. We didn't know what to expect with the weather. Sue came prepared to feed up to sixty. As it turned out there were only 8 brave souls who came out. It was real nice though. We actually served them and then sat and ate with them. I sat with a couple who asked me about our Christmas eve services. We chatted and I learned a lot about them. Unlike most months where we are racing around trying to feed everyone, today we got to spend time with the folks we see month after month at these meals. It was real nice.
Erica Corbett, Michelle and Elsie Chaffee showed up to help serve. Sue's friend Jen and her daughter, Amy came to help in the kitchen. For a while we had as many helpers as we did diners. You can't get better service than that.Cal
The church service that wasn't that was.
Worship services were canceled this morning after a Nor' easter blew in over seventeen inches of snow. I always hesitate to cancel service on Sunday. I tell people to stay home if they don't feel comfortable driving in hazardous conditions, but I like to keep the doors of the church open to those who feel compelled to gather for worship.Canceling church was never much of an option years ago. The churches all served local neighborhoods. So on snowy days people walked to church. The minister lived next door to the church so he or she could always get there. Not so today. Most people drive to church because they live so far away. With the increasing number of pastors owning their own homes, it isn't unusual for them to live in the next town too. That means the decision as to whether we cancel the service or not isn't as easy.
If the roads are fairly clear and it isn't snowing or dropping freezing rain, we go for it here at First Baptist. The only downside to having church on a day when it might be questionable is that it really affects our average attendance for the month. So much for statistics.
Whether we are open or closed, I come to the church on Sunday mornings. I've always lived in town so I'm close enough to make the trek in and hang out in case someone does show up. One year we had a family drive in all the way from Glastonbury. We held an abbreviated worship service in the parlor. We sang hymns, prayed, read the scripture and I even gave a short devotion. Another year a family was on the way to their church when they heard it was closed on the radio. They made three stops at other churches before they came to ours. So we chatted, sang a carol or two and they were on their way.
Today, as I was writing this note, I heard the door open and in walked Muriel and Frank Roderick. They had walked across the street to come to church. It had been a difficult couple of weeks for Frank as he had his surgery and then had some complications. So we sat and chatted for a while, then we had a cup of coffee and a time of prayer. It was very nice actually. It was a very cozy Christmas Sunday. At 11:30 a.m. we packed up and left for home.
So we didn't have church today... but we did. I guess I do like snow days after all.
Cal
Christmas display is ready
On Saturday morning Karen Barber, Zelda Fellows and Carol Calkins gathered to set up our annual poinsettia display. The flowers are given in honor or memory of loved ones and the committee always does something nice to showcase them.This year we purchased them from Stop and Shop and were able to offer them at a significant savings. As a result we increased the number of plants ordered by 33%. The display spreads out across the platform and wraps around the manger. I will be using this in our Christmas Eve service as we tell the story of the Savior's birth.
Cal
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
A busy day at FBC
It was a busy day on the third Sunday of Advent. In the morning worship service our choir sang an "Advent Alleluia" and I shared a message about the song of joy that was sung when Jesus was born. You can read the whole sermon by going to the worship page of the FBC web site at www.fbcnorwich.org
Later tht evening we held our annual Christmas Pageant and Party. We had abvout wighty five people present and the kids did a nice job. Dessert was served following the pageant and then Santa Claus paid a visit. The kids really enjoyed that.
Health and beauty aides were collected and they will be given away as part of our next Missional church event in February.
Here are some photos from the Party.
Cal
Later tht evening we held our annual Christmas Pageant and Party. We had abvout wighty five people present and the kids did a nice job. Dessert was served following the pageant and then Santa Claus paid a visit. The kids really enjoyed that.
Health and beauty aides were collected and they will be given away as part of our next Missional church event in February.
Here are some photos from the Party.
Cal
Thanks for the memories.
Here is the video we put together for worship on December 6th that paid tribute to the ministries of George Rezendes and Rosie Main. Watch it and you will see over 100 familiar faces from the past and present.
Cal
Cal
Monday, December 7, 2009
A special day of thanksgiving and tribute.
On the second Sunday of Advent we lifted up the joy we find in Christ. We had good reason to do that as we also celebrated the ministries of Rosie Main and George Rezendes. Both of them will be leaving us before long.
Rosie will be heading home to Oklahoma at the end of the year. She wants to spend more time with her parents, her daughter and friends from back home. George was married in August and he and Mary Anne are living in Lincoln, Rhode Island. He is still working in Norwich but on the weekends he is looking for a church home closer to where he lives so he can get involved there and share his gifts.
Yesterdays' service was filled with music and a tribute to both of them. At the same time we spoke about what it means to be part of a church family and to serve God there. We noted how every person has a role to play and how important our service is in making a church a home.
Brian Goldin, Rosie's son, sang a solo. Brian sang in the choir for many years and grew up in our Sunday School. It was nice to have him back for a day. As the children came forward, I invited Rosie to stand up. almost all of the young people who are 25 years old or younger have had her for a teacher. A little later in the service we invited her up to show her the plaque that will be hanging in the nursery from now on. It says that the area will now be known as the Rosie Main Nursery.
I invited the children to look at the Nativity scene at the front of the sanctuary and told them how each figure was important in telling the story of Jesus' birth. Then I reminded them that they are just as important because each of us has a job to do in order to make God's plan work. As the children headed down to the Rosie Main Nursery Area, Fred Green and I invited George Rezendes to come forward to join the choir in singing one of his favorite anthems, "A New King is Coming." It was a special moment.
After the announcements and prayers, the choir sang "A Tiny Child Will Come" and Rosie sang the solo part as she had done in the past. I think one of the things that kept Rosie coming back over the years was the fact that she loved to sing and the choir gave her a place to share that gift. My sermon was short this week as I spoke about Mary and her willingness to answer God's call. She didn't count the costs. She simply trusted God and did what she needed to do. I pointed out that George and Rosie had done the same. They both came here as they traveled life's journey and then answered his call and never looked back. They both gave of themselves and blessed us.
I pointed out that blessings always come when we serve God. They flow to all those around us and then they come back to us. I pointed out how this ministry has been blessed by the willingness of so many to answer the call. From the Property Committee, to the ushers, to the Sunday School teachers, to the musicians: everyone makes a difference and the blessings flow. Then I noted that in giving of ourselves, we are also blessed. Mary sang of God's blessings in her prayer following God's call. The truth is that both George and Rosie and all of us know that when we give of ourselves, we always get back more than we give.
The Praise team followed up on that by singing "Above All" and pointed out that Jesus is the reason we are all here and have come together as family.
We watched a video presentation that looked back on Rosie and George's years among us and then shared with them a few gifts. They both got a copy of the video and a specially crafted book of memories. We closed out the service around the communion table, which seemed very appropriate on this very special day and then went down to Fellowship Hall for a reception in their honor.
It was a great day. Here are some photos from the event.
Cal
Rosie will be heading home to Oklahoma at the end of the year. She wants to spend more time with her parents, her daughter and friends from back home. George was married in August and he and Mary Anne are living in Lincoln, Rhode Island. He is still working in Norwich but on the weekends he is looking for a church home closer to where he lives so he can get involved there and share his gifts.
Yesterdays' service was filled with music and a tribute to both of them. At the same time we spoke about what it means to be part of a church family and to serve God there. We noted how every person has a role to play and how important our service is in making a church a home.
Brian Goldin, Rosie's son, sang a solo. Brian sang in the choir for many years and grew up in our Sunday School. It was nice to have him back for a day. As the children came forward, I invited Rosie to stand up. almost all of the young people who are 25 years old or younger have had her for a teacher. A little later in the service we invited her up to show her the plaque that will be hanging in the nursery from now on. It says that the area will now be known as the Rosie Main Nursery.
I invited the children to look at the Nativity scene at the front of the sanctuary and told them how each figure was important in telling the story of Jesus' birth. Then I reminded them that they are just as important because each of us has a job to do in order to make God's plan work. As the children headed down to the Rosie Main Nursery Area, Fred Green and I invited George Rezendes to come forward to join the choir in singing one of his favorite anthems, "A New King is Coming." It was a special moment.
After the announcements and prayers, the choir sang "A Tiny Child Will Come" and Rosie sang the solo part as she had done in the past. I think one of the things that kept Rosie coming back over the years was the fact that she loved to sing and the choir gave her a place to share that gift. My sermon was short this week as I spoke about Mary and her willingness to answer God's call. She didn't count the costs. She simply trusted God and did what she needed to do. I pointed out that George and Rosie had done the same. They both came here as they traveled life's journey and then answered his call and never looked back. They both gave of themselves and blessed us.
I pointed out that blessings always come when we serve God. They flow to all those around us and then they come back to us. I pointed out how this ministry has been blessed by the willingness of so many to answer the call. From the Property Committee, to the ushers, to the Sunday School teachers, to the musicians: everyone makes a difference and the blessings flow. Then I noted that in giving of ourselves, we are also blessed. Mary sang of God's blessings in her prayer following God's call. The truth is that both George and Rosie and all of us know that when we give of ourselves, we always get back more than we give.
The Praise team followed up on that by singing "Above All" and pointed out that Jesus is the reason we are all here and have come together as family.
We watched a video presentation that looked back on Rosie and George's years among us and then shared with them a few gifts. They both got a copy of the video and a specially crafted book of memories. We closed out the service around the communion table, which seemed very appropriate on this very special day and then went down to Fellowship Hall for a reception in their honor.
It was a great day. Here are some photos from the event.
Cal
Monday, November 30, 2009
The first Sunday of Advent
On Sunday we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent and the church looked beautiful. Rosie Main did the call to worship and we went right into the singing of the advent carol, "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." We ran out of bulletins and although that is a problem for the ushers, it is always a good thing for attendance. We had 108 people present and the church had a kind of glow. The choir sang "Rejoice, Rejoice Emmanuel" and it fit right in with the theme of hope that was struck in the lighting of the advent candle.
My message was a reminder that no matter what is happening in the world around us, God is always in charge. I pointed out how Jesus was born in Bethlehem because a pagan ruler had come to power in a pagan nation and decided to have a census. This forced Joseph and Mary to travel from home to the city of their ancestor David's birth. You couldn't have planned it if you tried but in these coincidental acts God made sure that the prophet's predictions were fulfilled. So if God could maneuver those events, he certainly can work miracles and blessing in our lives.
We finished the day by singing a hymn of expectation and closed the service b pointing to the hope that is embodied in the manger that carried the prince of peace.
Cal
My message was a reminder that no matter what is happening in the world around us, God is always in charge. I pointed out how Jesus was born in Bethlehem because a pagan ruler had come to power in a pagan nation and decided to have a census. This forced Joseph and Mary to travel from home to the city of their ancestor David's birth. You couldn't have planned it if you tried but in these coincidental acts God made sure that the prophet's predictions were fulfilled. So if God could maneuver those events, he certainly can work miracles and blessing in our lives.
We finished the day by singing a hymn of expectation and closed the service b pointing to the hope that is embodied in the manger that carried the prince of peace.
Cal
Advent decorating
On Saturday we decorated the church for Advent. We were small in number but we got a lot done. Jamime Todd and I pulled all the decorations down from the tower room and then Patricia Ohlund began sorting through them and directing us as to where everything went. Oliver Bray went to work putting up the candelabras and Mark Rogers began hanging the large wreathes.
Steve Ohlund tackled the large Christmas tree. He hung the garland and placed the ornaments with care. Zelda Fellows hung the greens around the sanctuary. Doris Adams set up our various nativity sets and Patricia went around giving suggestions and making everything look nice.
We had one problem. The candles I bought had too much of a waxy coating on them and we had to scrap them. They would not stand up in our holders without falling. We could not place them safely so I'll be heading out looking for more candles this week.
It was a nice morning and you will be blessed when you come to worship this week.
Cal
Steve Ohlund tackled the large Christmas tree. He hung the garland and placed the ornaments with care. Zelda Fellows hung the greens around the sanctuary. Doris Adams set up our various nativity sets and Patricia went around giving suggestions and making everything look nice.
We had one problem. The candles I bought had too much of a waxy coating on them and we had to scrap them. They would not stand up in our holders without falling. We could not place them safely so I'll be heading out looking for more candles this week.
It was a nice morning and you will be blessed when you come to worship this week.
Cal
Friday, November 27, 2009
A day of giving on your behlaf
It's Friday morning and I feel a little bit like Santa Claus. On Wednesday night Mark Kane, our Treasurer, and I met to talk about our mission giving. We had quite a bit of money that has been collected over the last few months that needed to be disbursed before the end of the year.
All of the checks were going to organizations that we voted to support at our Annual Meeting last year when we adopted the mission budget. We give to the United Mission Program of the American Baptist churches USA for the support of our worldwide mission outreach ministry. But we also give to a number of local ministries that support people and projects within our own communities. I wrote little notes to go with the checks we gave out to the following organizations this morning.
St Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen: This is a ministry established and support by the Catholic Diocese of Norwich but it is really the largest hunger ministry in the area. Every day over a hundred people are served with breakfast and lunch programs, a food pantry, laundry and shower service and so much more. The kitchen works with social service agencies and partners with the Homeless shelter and several other agencies to care for the "least of these" in our city. Currently they have lots of volunteer opportunities available too. Cynthia Strouse volunteers as a cook on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Madonna Place is a ministry that serves mostly young mothers and their children. It hooks them up with resources and classes that will help them grow as parents. They also have classes for dads who are trying to deal with stress and good parenting skills. It is a drop in center, a resource place and a safe haven for many of our most vulnerable citizens.
We also support Habitat for Humanity as they seek to make dreams come true. Amanda Duntz is currently the volunteer coordinator for the local area and we are looking to get more involved in some of the house builds. We also support them with a small gift each year. They have been a blessing to so many families in the region over the years.
The Norwich Clergy Fuel Fund helps folks with energy assistance by providing up to $200 in oil, gas or electrical heating needs. The Association treasurer works with agencies and through referrals from the clergy to provide emergency help to those who are left out in the cold. We make an annual gift to the fund.
The Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center ministers to young ladies who are in distress over an unwanted pregnancy. Unlike Planned Parenthood, which helps young girls receive abortions, Care Net helps supports these girls as they as they deal with the pregnancy. They assist in adoption proceedings. They help by providing resources and support throughout the pregnancy and provide an alternative to abortion. This is one ministry that all of us who are pro-lifers should support whole heartedly because it walks the walk with those in need.
Other institutions we support include Eastern College in St. David's PA, Pierce Memorial Baptist Home, Andover Newton Theological Seminary and the ministries of our SUNL Association.
We can do this because of your faithful giving to mission through our church. So thank you for making me feel so benevolent this morning as I act on your behalf.
cal
All of the checks were going to organizations that we voted to support at our Annual Meeting last year when we adopted the mission budget. We give to the United Mission Program of the American Baptist churches USA for the support of our worldwide mission outreach ministry. But we also give to a number of local ministries that support people and projects within our own communities. I wrote little notes to go with the checks we gave out to the following organizations this morning.
St Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen: This is a ministry established and support by the Catholic Diocese of Norwich but it is really the largest hunger ministry in the area. Every day over a hundred people are served with breakfast and lunch programs, a food pantry, laundry and shower service and so much more. The kitchen works with social service agencies and partners with the Homeless shelter and several other agencies to care for the "least of these" in our city. Currently they have lots of volunteer opportunities available too. Cynthia Strouse volunteers as a cook on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
Madonna Place is a ministry that serves mostly young mothers and their children. It hooks them up with resources and classes that will help them grow as parents. They also have classes for dads who are trying to deal with stress and good parenting skills. It is a drop in center, a resource place and a safe haven for many of our most vulnerable citizens.
We also support Habitat for Humanity as they seek to make dreams come true. Amanda Duntz is currently the volunteer coordinator for the local area and we are looking to get more involved in some of the house builds. We also support them with a small gift each year. They have been a blessing to so many families in the region over the years.
The Norwich Clergy Fuel Fund helps folks with energy assistance by providing up to $200 in oil, gas or electrical heating needs. The Association treasurer works with agencies and through referrals from the clergy to provide emergency help to those who are left out in the cold. We make an annual gift to the fund.
The Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center ministers to young ladies who are in distress over an unwanted pregnancy. Unlike Planned Parenthood, which helps young girls receive abortions, Care Net helps supports these girls as they as they deal with the pregnancy. They assist in adoption proceedings. They help by providing resources and support throughout the pregnancy and provide an alternative to abortion. This is one ministry that all of us who are pro-lifers should support whole heartedly because it walks the walk with those in need.
Other institutions we support include Eastern College in St. David's PA, Pierce Memorial Baptist Home, Andover Newton Theological Seminary and the ministries of our SUNL Association.
We can do this because of your faithful giving to mission through our church. So thank you for making me feel so benevolent this morning as I act on your behalf.
cal
Wednesday night thanksgiving service
On Wednesday night we met for our weekly mid-week service. The Praise team led us in singing and I told of a Thanksgiving miracle. I got a call that someone on Tuesday afternoon who had a large turkey to give but it couldn't be delivered until Wednesday night. I scrambled to think of someone who could use it. I made a call and the family I connected with wasn't planning on a turkey dinner because things were kind of tight this year. She was delighted to hear my voice and she gratefully accepted the turkey and all the fixings that went with it.
We had eighteen people present for our service as we sang and prayed. An old friend of mine was present and Jim asked us for prayer. He had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and he asked us to lay hands on him like it suggests in the book of James. We did and we prayed for his healing.
I then preached about deliverance and how God is always with us and ready to answer the call when we feel tempted or when we feel under fire or attack by the devil or simply when the world is too much for us. He will deliver us from evil.
Cal
We had eighteen people present for our service as we sang and prayed. An old friend of mine was present and Jim asked us for prayer. He had recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and he asked us to lay hands on him like it suggests in the book of James. We did and we prayed for his healing.
I then preached about deliverance and how God is always with us and ready to answer the call when we feel tempted or when we feel under fire or attack by the devil or simply when the world is too much for us. He will deliver us from evil.
Cal
It is time to sing of our coming Lord
On Tuesday night we had a great choir rehearsal. It was really great to be singing Christmas and advent anthems. I can't wait for Christmas this year. I know a lot of people are complaining about how early the sales gimmicks have started and how disgusted they are with the commercial nature of it all but I don't care. Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. It reminds us just how much God loves us.
With all the gloom and doom being broadcast over the airwaves and across the net, Christmas comes to bring a light into our dark world. So if you are feeling kind of blue, come to church this Sunday as we sing about the coming of our Lord and preach on the Hope Christ brings.
Cal
With all the gloom and doom being broadcast over the airwaves and across the net, Christmas comes to bring a light into our dark world. So if you are feeling kind of blue, come to church this Sunday as we sing about the coming of our Lord and preach on the Hope Christ brings.
Cal
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Youth group serves up Thanksgiving baskets
After church on Sunday, Cynthia Strouse and I went shopping. She and Cheryl Dimmock had organized everything that had been collected and then made a list of what was needed to complete the bags. We came back and at 3:00 p.m. the kids from our junior/ senior high classes came to put the bags together. We ended up making 25 bags on Sunday and then made up another four and had money for two gift certificates by the time Wednesday night rolled around. It was a great outreach effort by all.The kids had a good time putting the bags together. Then from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. they helped carry the bags out to the cars of the folks who picked them up.
Thanksgiving Sunday worship
On Sunday we had much to be thankful for. We celebrated our Thankfulness in a Church family thanksgiving service. We sang the traditional hymns and the choir sang "O Give Thanks." We also had the opportunity to witness Kristen Deptulski and Jason Desaulniers come forward with their son, Liam, in a service of family dedication. They had lots of family and friends present for the service.We also dedicated our pledge cards at the end of the service. People were invited to come forward with them and put them into the well. We also invited folks to write down the blessings they were thankful for and to bring them to the well too.
My message focused on being thankful no matter what our circumstances are and realizing that God is with us all the time. It was a great day!
Cal
Monday, November 23, 2009
Annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
On Thursday night we met to celebrate Thanksgiving in Norwich. One week before the official holiday Norwich Churches Together, our ecumenical church council, organized an interfaith Thanksgiving service. It was held at Grace Episcopal Church in Yantic. Our Praise team got everything going as they shared several songs as a prelude. They did a great job. Bev Goulet was the guest speaker and several clergy participated including Father Bob Lynch from St. Mary's, Rev. Ho Soon Han from Lee Memorial, Rev. Trish Cunningham of Christ Episcopal, Rabbi Charles Arian of Beth Jacob Synagogue and Rev. Dennis Doyle from Sts Peter and Paul.Tom Hyland from Martin House also participated and told us about the ministry he is involved with to help the homeless. The proceeds from the offering was going to support his ministry. Afterwards the ladies of Grace Church hosted a fellowship hour and there were lots of goodies.
Here are a few photos of our praise team.
Cal
Friday, November 20, 2009
Plans being made for Annual Pageant
On Wednesday night our Sunday School teachers and staff members met to talk about our Annual Christmas Party and Pageant. We chose a contemporary pageant that looks pretty good. It begins with two girls talking about what they want for Christmas. One of them is a little disappointed and the other invites her to come to Christmas eve service. That's when the angel appears and begins sharing the Christmas story with them.
In this pageant there are shepherds, angels, wise men and Mary and Joseph. There are carols to sing too. It should be a great. Everything is planned for Sunday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. Dessert will follow the pageant and it will be followed up with a visit from Santa Claus. Everyone is invited so mark your calendar and plan to join us. We are encouraging the kids to bring a personal care item, such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo or soap that will be shared with our neighbors in need as part of our winter survival kit give away in January.
Cal
In this pageant there are shepherds, angels, wise men and Mary and Joseph. There are carols to sing too. It should be a great. Everything is planned for Sunday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. Dessert will follow the pageant and it will be followed up with a visit from Santa Claus. Everyone is invited so mark your calendar and plan to join us. We are encouraging the kids to bring a personal care item, such as toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo or soap that will be shared with our neighbors in need as part of our winter survival kit give away in January.
Cal
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Words for the Wednesday night crowd
On Wednesday night we met for worship and twenty eight people were in attendance. The praise team got us off and running. As usual they were great. In my message I shared the fact that when Jesus taught us to ask God not to lead us into temptation, he may have been suggesting we ask God not to let us face trials. The Hebrew word for both temptation and testing is the same. None of us want to face trials and Jesus knew we would want to ask God for that. But testing and trials come and I pointed out that what God promised is that he would be with us in our time of testing.
It seemed like a message that was timely for all of us who were present. Some of those who were there were facing pretty big challenges. Others were going through a valley of testing. I don't think there was one person present who couldn't say they weren't worried about something going on in their lives. It is funny how God works. I've been preaching on the Lord's prayer for six or seven weeks and this was the night, with our highest attendance, that we dealt with a subject that hit home for so many. The truth is that every one of us is either just coming out of a trial or will soon be facing one. That's life. But it did seem timely.
We closed our service with prayers for Dot Kreger, Joe Rodino and a young man named Casey who were all facing surgery in the near future. We lifted up Gwyn Green who fell and sprained her ankle. We lifted up Nikki Dufour. We prayed for two of Cliff Vanase's friends who were facing medical concerns. We prayed for Zelda Fellows and the Lucien family and their concerns. Then as we were getting ready to go, we paused to say thank you to God for the blessings in our lives. It was a good service.
Cal
It seemed like a message that was timely for all of us who were present. Some of those who were there were facing pretty big challenges. Others were going through a valley of testing. I don't think there was one person present who couldn't say they weren't worried about something going on in their lives. It is funny how God works. I've been preaching on the Lord's prayer for six or seven weeks and this was the night, with our highest attendance, that we dealt with a subject that hit home for so many. The truth is that every one of us is either just coming out of a trial or will soon be facing one. That's life. But it did seem timely.
We closed our service with prayers for Dot Kreger, Joe Rodino and a young man named Casey who were all facing surgery in the near future. We lifted up Gwyn Green who fell and sprained her ankle. We lifted up Nikki Dufour. We prayed for two of Cliff Vanase's friends who were facing medical concerns. We prayed for Zelda Fellows and the Lucien family and their concerns. Then as we were getting ready to go, we paused to say thank you to God for the blessings in our lives. It was a good service.
Cal
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Mission team meets to make plans
Our Mission Mexico team met last night and had a great time. We talked about a couple of housekeeping items (the need for passports and a few individual travel plans) and then worked on our plans for the Spaghetti Supper fund raiser on Saturday, January 9th. Erica Corbett is in charge of the dinner itself. Melanie Scheuermann is taking care of tickets and flyers and contacting the cable TV station. Michelle Chaffee will get announcements on the radio stations. Several others chipped in with things they could bring or get donated.
Michelle Chaffee will be in charge of the silent auction. Everyone is going to get information to her about what they are getting donated and the approximate value of the item. She will make up sheets with the information for them that will be used to take the bids.We also spoke briefly about our long range vision for the mission plan for the two churches. We hope to announce the destination and particulars of the summer mission trip shortly after the first of the year and make a decision on the International Mission trip for 2011 early next year.
Cal
Monday, November 16, 2009
November Community luncheon
We served lunch at St. Marks yesterday and fed a hot dinner to about 55 people. The meal featured American Chop Suey, salad and french bread. Ellie Eccleston, Roger and Doreen Mainville from Central Baptist did the cooking. Their sister-in-law and her daughter joined Michelle and Elsie Chaffee to do the serving. Erica Corbett and I helped out too. Here are a few photos from the day.
Cal
Cal
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Worship on the 15th of november
This morning we continued our worship with an eye to Thanksgiving. People brought in some of their items for the Thanksgiving baskets and we talked about the things we are thankful for. My message highlighted the fact that God loves each of us so much that he gave his only begotten son. Patricia Ohlund gave her testimony on how trusting God blessed her and Steve in their business this year.The choir followed up Patricia's testimony with the anthem "Let Us Serve Him." I also had some fun and removed my preaching robe for the children's moment to reveal my star trek uniform. I told the kids that God created each of us with unique gifts and talents and we are called to use them to share his love.
We also sang three of the most beloved hymns in Christendom today. We sang "Holy, Holy, Holy" to open the service and In the Garden and "How Great Thou Art" to close things out. It was a good day.
Saturday work party
On Saturday morning Randy Sargent, Mark Rogers and Ray Deptulski met at church to do the plumbing and to reinstall the Wayside pulpit. By the time they were done there was a new faucet in the kitchen, a new assembly on the urinal in the men's room and a number other plumbing jobs completed.
One of the jobs the guys are working on is turning the old men's room into pantry or storage area. They disconnected the sink and toilet in there and will soon be knocking down the partition and removing the urinal, toilet and sink. We hope to store pot, pans and other things in there once we get the new kitchen in place.
Tag Griffin completed the work on the wayside pulpit and now we just need to give it a final coat of paint and add the new letters and we will be up and running with that. The guys got a lot accomplished in a few hours. We'll let you know what else needs to be done. Maybe some others will want to help.
Cal
One of the jobs the guys are working on is turning the old men's room into pantry or storage area. They disconnected the sink and toilet in there and will soon be knocking down the partition and removing the urinal, toilet and sink. We hope to store pot, pans and other things in there once we get the new kitchen in place.
Tag Griffin completed the work on the wayside pulpit and now we just need to give it a final coat of paint and add the new letters and we will be up and running with that. The guys got a lot accomplished in a few hours. We'll let you know what else needs to be done. Maybe some others will want to help.
Cal
A super night of fun
Friday the 13th was good luck for us at church. A group of young people traveled to Springfield, Massachusetts for the Word of Life Super Bowl . We met at the church at 6:00 p.m. and made our way up through Hartford and on to the Springfield Civic Center. We watched as the Springfield Eagles beat the Bridgeport Tigers 3 -2 in overtime and then listened to a preacher talk about the difference Jesus can make in someone's life.
Over three hundred kids got a chance to get on the ice in a huge rally after the message. Elsie and Alana were among those to get a chance to capture prizes. At 12:45 a.m. we got in the van and drove to Chicoppee to go bowling. We had fun. They also provided Domino's pizza and cold soda for the group. The boys won both games but conceded the fact that it was all done in good fun and no one back home was to see the scores.
At 3:15 p.m. we left for the roller rink in northern Springfield. We arrived at they rink and the kids put on their skates and got right into it. The next two hours passed pretty quickly and by 5:15 p.m. we were packing up to return home. Everyone was tired but pretty happy that they had conquered the night and survived another Word of Life Super Bowl adventure. We arrived back in Norwich at 7:00 a.m. and most of us were happy to find our beds waiting for us.
Cal
Over three hundred kids got a chance to get on the ice in a huge rally after the message. Elsie and Alana were among those to get a chance to capture prizes. At 12:45 a.m. we got in the van and drove to Chicoppee to go bowling. We had fun. They also provided Domino's pizza and cold soda for the group. The boys won both games but conceded the fact that it was all done in good fun and no one back home was to see the scores.
At 3:15 p.m. we left for the roller rink in northern Springfield. We arrived at they rink and the kids put on their skates and got right into it. The next two hours passed pretty quickly and by 5:15 p.m. we were packing up to return home. Everyone was tired but pretty happy that they had conquered the night and survived another Word of Life Super Bowl adventure. We arrived back in Norwich at 7:00 a.m. and most of us were happy to find our beds waiting for us.
Cal
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Stewardship in action
On Thursday night our Property Committee met and planned a number of small projects they wanted to tackle this weekend. Many of the issues involved plumbing. We have had water issues at church over the last year and a half and some of them can be addressed fairly easily.
The faucets in the kitchen are loose and they don't always stay off when you shut them off. I have come in on many-a- Monday to find the water dribbling out. The same is true of the urinal in the Men's room. As a matter of fact we had a problem the other day. The toilet upstairs wouldn't flush and the sink didn't have any pressure. Don Walberg, our custodian, knew what the problem was right away. He headed down stairs to check on the Men's room. He told me it's happened before.
The guys decided to meet on Saturday to tackle these problems. They also made it a point to reinstall the wayside pulpit out front. Tag Griffin restored the sign board and gave it a new look. They'll put it up on Saturday and then get new letters for it. It will be cool to be able to announce upcoming programs and post interesting sermon titles.
The Trustees met after the Property Committee and they approved the proposed 2010 budget. It is a dream budget based upon our hopes at church .The final budget that gets sent to the Annual Meeting in January will be determined by the pledges and gifts we receive from now to the end of our stewardship campaign. So prayerfully consider how you can support the ministry of our church in 2010 when you get your pledge card next week! You can make our dreams come true.
Cal
The faucets in the kitchen are loose and they don't always stay off when you shut them off. I have come in on many-a- Monday to find the water dribbling out. The same is true of the urinal in the Men's room. As a matter of fact we had a problem the other day. The toilet upstairs wouldn't flush and the sink didn't have any pressure. Don Walberg, our custodian, knew what the problem was right away. He headed down stairs to check on the Men's room. He told me it's happened before.
The guys decided to meet on Saturday to tackle these problems. They also made it a point to reinstall the wayside pulpit out front. Tag Griffin restored the sign board and gave it a new look. They'll put it up on Saturday and then get new letters for it. It will be cool to be able to announce upcoming programs and post interesting sermon titles.
The Trustees met after the Property Committee and they approved the proposed 2010 budget. It is a dream budget based upon our hopes at church .The final budget that gets sent to the Annual Meeting in January will be determined by the pledges and gifts we receive from now to the end of our stewardship campaign. So prayerfully consider how you can support the ministry of our church in 2010 when you get your pledge card next week! You can make our dreams come true.
Cal
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Wednesday nights
Wednesday nights have been great this Fall. Each week the Praise team kicks off the service with some singing. This past week people arrived early and got to enjoy their practice session. Then I spend twenty minutes or so preaching. this Fall I've been focusing on the Lord's Prayer. Last night I talked about forgiveness, one of the hardest planks in the prayer. It is easy to ask for forgiveness but much harder to give it. Then we spend a little time in prayer as we close out the service.
We've been averaging about sixteen people a week since we began the end of September. Most of the folks are regular. Some come because they can't make church on Sunday morning because of weork or other scheduling conflicts. Some like the intimate nature of the services. I am pleasxed with what has been happening so far. I hope it continues for quite a while.
Cal
We've been averaging about sixteen people a week since we began the end of September. Most of the folks are regular. Some come because they can't make church on Sunday morning because of weork or other scheduling conflicts. Some like the intimate nature of the services. I am pleasxed with what has been happening so far. I hope it continues for quite a while.
Cal
Pastoral visiting in its many forms
On Wednesday Nicki Dufour was in the office helping her mom, Sandy Stone, do some sorting through of old photographs. She is doing a little community service for us. It works well for us right now because we have a lot of little projects going on. We are in the middle of stewardship season, we are working on Thanksgiving, Advent and a farewell celebration and that means lots of loose ends to tie up.
We also have a wedding in the church on Friday night and i met with the photographer and the bride for a few minutes to show them the sanctuary. The bride is Danyelle White. Her grandfather, Pastor Henry Barry, is going to perform the service. I needed to go over some of the logistics with them.
At noon I traveled down to Essex for a meeting of the SUNL Association clergy. We talked about upcoming events in the region like the Habitat Build in Jewett City. We had lunch and then shared stories about our experiences with weddings and funerals. It was filled a more than a few laughs. (Watch out funniest home videos!)
I cam home along the shore and tried to stop in to visit a few church members but no one was home. Visiting in the homes today is much more difficult than it was when I began twenty seven years ago. No one is home and today it is always best to make an appointment. Of course a lot of people simply do not want a home visit. They are too busy and it disrupts their schedule. I will always stop in though, if someone asks me to make a visit.
I've heard it said a couple of times that people know I am busy and they don't want to bother me. I try to tell them that it is never a bother. If you need a visit, let's make an appointment and I'll be there. The same thing is true with the hospital. Years ago I used to stop in at Backus four or more times a week to check and see if anyone was on the list. We don't have a large congregation so most of the time I would check in and we had no one in the hospital. Some times I would stop in and because of the shorter hospital stays, the person would have already gone home. So now I try to let everyone know to call me if you are going into the hospital and I will visit you. Call if you want prayer before an operation or a test or a procedure. I'll flip my schedule around to make a visit.
Years ago my mother was going through a difficult time and I just happened to call her. Her father was terribly sick and she was worried. When I called her she noted that our pastor hadn't come by to visit. She told me he always seemed to show up when she needed him. Being in seminary at the time, I asked the question: "Did you call him?" She replied, "No. He just seems to know and shows up." That scared the death out of me.
It is a tremendous expectation that many of us in the clergy have to live up to. People expect us to know when they are sick, worried, afraid, about to lose their job, on the brink of a break up and to be there when they need a prayer or a little time with Jesus. The truth is that sometimes, and I hate to admit it, but those of us in the ministry are a little self consumed or busy with our own stuff and we need prodding. We get caught up in sermon preparation or community ministries or our own pet projects. The only person I would suspect that never fell into that pit was Mother Theresa. The rest of us are only human.
So whether you belong to First Baptist or some other church, make sure you call the pastor or priest if you need prayer or if you need a visit. I'm sure they will make time for you. The truth is that after making two stops where people weren't home, I ended up visiting a man who had called yesterday morning and wanted a visit. Then I headed back to church to get ready for our Wednesday evening service.
We also have a wedding in the church on Friday night and i met with the photographer and the bride for a few minutes to show them the sanctuary. The bride is Danyelle White. Her grandfather, Pastor Henry Barry, is going to perform the service. I needed to go over some of the logistics with them.
At noon I traveled down to Essex for a meeting of the SUNL Association clergy. We talked about upcoming events in the region like the Habitat Build in Jewett City. We had lunch and then shared stories about our experiences with weddings and funerals. It was filled a more than a few laughs. (Watch out funniest home videos!)
I cam home along the shore and tried to stop in to visit a few church members but no one was home. Visiting in the homes today is much more difficult than it was when I began twenty seven years ago. No one is home and today it is always best to make an appointment. Of course a lot of people simply do not want a home visit. They are too busy and it disrupts their schedule. I will always stop in though, if someone asks me to make a visit.
I've heard it said a couple of times that people know I am busy and they don't want to bother me. I try to tell them that it is never a bother. If you need a visit, let's make an appointment and I'll be there. The same thing is true with the hospital. Years ago I used to stop in at Backus four or more times a week to check and see if anyone was on the list. We don't have a large congregation so most of the time I would check in and we had no one in the hospital. Some times I would stop in and because of the shorter hospital stays, the person would have already gone home. So now I try to let everyone know to call me if you are going into the hospital and I will visit you. Call if you want prayer before an operation or a test or a procedure. I'll flip my schedule around to make a visit.
Years ago my mother was going through a difficult time and I just happened to call her. Her father was terribly sick and she was worried. When I called her she noted that our pastor hadn't come by to visit. She told me he always seemed to show up when she needed him. Being in seminary at the time, I asked the question: "Did you call him?" She replied, "No. He just seems to know and shows up." That scared the death out of me.
It is a tremendous expectation that many of us in the clergy have to live up to. People expect us to know when they are sick, worried, afraid, about to lose their job, on the brink of a break up and to be there when they need a prayer or a little time with Jesus. The truth is that sometimes, and I hate to admit it, but those of us in the ministry are a little self consumed or busy with our own stuff and we need prodding. We get caught up in sermon preparation or community ministries or our own pet projects. The only person I would suspect that never fell into that pit was Mother Theresa. The rest of us are only human.
So whether you belong to First Baptist or some other church, make sure you call the pastor or priest if you need prayer or if you need a visit. I'm sure they will make time for you. The truth is that after making two stops where people weren't home, I ended up visiting a man who had called yesterday morning and wanted a visit. Then I headed back to church to get ready for our Wednesday evening service.
Music was in the air
We met in the afterglow of the Annual Choir Festival. Choir rehearsal this week was fun and we spent a little time taking about the event and the nice compliments we received. It was a good night but we missed having both Central Baptist and St Pats there. Both of those choirs add a lot to the mix.
Someone noted that United Congregational's choir did a great job with only four members. I think they would get the Spirit Award if we had one. They always remind us what this event is all about. It isn't about size or even how well practiced an anthem is. We joke about it being a competition sometimes but at the root of the event is a simple truth. We all sing praises to God and lead our churches in worship.
I always come away from the event giving thanks for all the choir directors and members that sing each week in our churches. But I also come away with a realization of how fortunate we are a First Baptist to have such a dedicated group of singers who come with talent and enthusiasm for this ministry. My admiration for Adele continues to grow as well. She has a unique ability to bring the best out of our group week after week.
In January Adele will celebrate her thirtieth anniversary with us. We will certainly have to do something special.
Cal
Someone noted that United Congregational's choir did a great job with only four members. I think they would get the Spirit Award if we had one. They always remind us what this event is all about. It isn't about size or even how well practiced an anthem is. We joke about it being a competition sometimes but at the root of the event is a simple truth. We all sing praises to God and lead our churches in worship.
I always come away from the event giving thanks for all the choir directors and members that sing each week in our churches. But I also come away with a realization of how fortunate we are a First Baptist to have such a dedicated group of singers who come with talent and enthusiasm for this ministry. My admiration for Adele continues to grow as well. She has a unique ability to bring the best out of our group week after week.
In January Adele will celebrate her thirtieth anniversary with us. We will certainly have to do something special.
Cal
Monday, November 9, 2009
Happy birthday to a former pastor
Happy 89th birthday to our former Pastor Orice Gracey. Orey served our church from 1952 - 1956. He came here from a small church in Grafton, Massachusetts. He left here and went on to serve in the Navy for several years and then went on to serve in the Red Cross until he retired. He currently live in South Carolina with his wife Machon. Orey was last seen by our congregation in 2000 when he attended our 200th anniversary celebration and shred remembrances from his years with us. God bless you Orey! Hope you had a great day.
Cal
Cal
A day of meetings and get togethers
Today I had breakfast with Pastor Greg Thomas of the Cornerstone Baptist Church. He is getting involved in the area and I wanted to catch up with him and welcome him. Greg grew up in the Central Baptist Church and was once a member of thew Lebanon Baptist Church. While in seminary he pastored the Moosup Baptist Church. A few months back he began his ministry at the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Danielson and I attended his installation service a few weeks ago.
I came back to Norwich and met with Sue Kenyon. Sue is going to cook the lunch for us at the interfaith luncheon in December. Say a prayer for her. She is going to have surgery the end of this month but she plans to be back on her feet in time for the December 20th event.
Back at church Sandy was working on things that were needed for meetings of the Mission Committee on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. and the Property Committee and Trustees on Thursday night. She also fielded several phone calls with questions from a number of people about events at church.
This afternoon I went up to Pierce Baptist Home for a meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee. It turned out to be a very productive meeting. Then I came back to Norwich and met with a young woman getting married on Friday at our church. She had a number of logistical questions. Her grandfather will be performing the wedding.
With a half hour to go before our missional church meeting, I ran over to Sue Damien's house to check in and drop off copies of her husband Al's funeral service. It just happened to be his birthday and she was having a tough day.
I finished the day with Curt Brockway and Judy Dupont. We were the only ones who made it to the missional church meeting. We forgot to remind everyone else. We had a good talk though and set the next meeting for the second Monday in December. And here I am finishing the day by writing about it.
Cal
I came back to Norwich and met with Sue Kenyon. Sue is going to cook the lunch for us at the interfaith luncheon in December. Say a prayer for her. She is going to have surgery the end of this month but she plans to be back on her feet in time for the December 20th event.
Back at church Sandy was working on things that were needed for meetings of the Mission Committee on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. and the Property Committee and Trustees on Thursday night. She also fielded several phone calls with questions from a number of people about events at church.
This afternoon I went up to Pierce Baptist Home for a meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee. It turned out to be a very productive meeting. Then I came back to Norwich and met with a young woman getting married on Friday at our church. She had a number of logistical questions. Her grandfather will be performing the wedding.
With a half hour to go before our missional church meeting, I ran over to Sue Damien's house to check in and drop off copies of her husband Al's funeral service. It just happened to be his birthday and she was having a tough day.
I finished the day with Curt Brockway and Judy Dupont. We were the only ones who made it to the missional church meeting. We forgot to remind everyone else. We had a good talk though and set the next meeting for the second Monday in December. And here I am finishing the day by writing about it.
Cal
Making room for Jesus in our lives
This marks the 500th post of First Baptist life. I have to be honest with you. It will be just as memorable as any of the other 499 that preceded it. Life at church always is interesting. There is something to talk about every day. For example on Sunday we continued our celebration of the stewardship season.
Mary Brockway gave a testimony to how God worked to provide for their family the two times Curt was out of work and in between jobs. They had tough decisions to make and they decided to trust God and move ahead. Both times God provided and they were able to get by and then some.
The choir anthem was a powerful one that spoke about putting or trust "In Christ Alone" and the sermon picked up on that theme and talked about making room for Jesus in the throne room of your heart. We pulled out Bob Walker's beautiful wishing well and displayed it by the Communion table. We all sang "Fill My Cup Lord" this week and closed the service with Crown Him With Many Crowns.It was a great day of celebration and worship.
Worship is an opportunity for us to slow down and give God the glory he deserves. By making time for worship, we express how important God is to us. When I was growing up I used to think that spontaneous prayer was all I needed. I felt I could talk to God anytime. The problem is that life gets busy and unless we set aside time for prayer, we often push it to the back burner. The same is true for worship. I've had so many people tell me that they missed one week and then another and it was so easy to begin to make excuses for not coming to church. That's life.
When we are purposeful and make a conscious decision to make time for regular worship, it happens. We are making room for Jesus. The truth is that we feel better too. Spending an hour or so in the presence of God and in the fellowship of the church family goes a long way in brightening our spirits. So if you missed church yesterday, make it a point to join us next week. You will be glad you did, and so will God.
Cal
Mary Brockway gave a testimony to how God worked to provide for their family the two times Curt was out of work and in between jobs. They had tough decisions to make and they decided to trust God and move ahead. Both times God provided and they were able to get by and then some.
The choir anthem was a powerful one that spoke about putting or trust "In Christ Alone" and the sermon picked up on that theme and talked about making room for Jesus in the throne room of your heart. We pulled out Bob Walker's beautiful wishing well and displayed it by the Communion table. We all sang "Fill My Cup Lord" this week and closed the service with Crown Him With Many Crowns.It was a great day of celebration and worship.
Worship is an opportunity for us to slow down and give God the glory he deserves. By making time for worship, we express how important God is to us. When I was growing up I used to think that spontaneous prayer was all I needed. I felt I could talk to God anytime. The problem is that life gets busy and unless we set aside time for prayer, we often push it to the back burner. The same is true for worship. I've had so many people tell me that they missed one week and then another and it was so easy to begin to make excuses for not coming to church. That's life.
When we are purposeful and make a conscious decision to make time for regular worship, it happens. We are making room for Jesus. The truth is that we feel better too. Spending an hour or so in the presence of God and in the fellowship of the church family goes a long way in brightening our spirits. So if you missed church yesterday, make it a point to join us next week. You will be glad you did, and so will God.
Cal
The choir festival
The Eighteenth Annual Festical of Choirs featured seven church choirs and some special music written by Mary Webber Hall. Our choir was one of the groups that performed at this enjoyable evening of song at the United Congregational Church last night. We shared the anthem "In Christ Alone" and it was well received by the congregation.
Mary Webber Hall was a long time organist in the area. She served both the United Congregational and Lee Memomorial United Methodist churches. She was also an accomplished teacher and song writer. She passed away last month after a battle with cancer. We sang three of her hymns in her honor last night.
The closing moments of the service featured a combined choir of over eighty voices from the assembled choirs. Directed by Barry Asch, the group sang John Rutter's arrangement of "For the Beauty of the Earth."
Our choir always has a good time. We enjoy the music, the fellowship and the opportunity to share our music with a wider audience. Last night was no different. Here are a few photos from last night's event.
Cal
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Saturdays at FBC
Saturdays at church usually bring a number of mixed events together. The Praise team of Buenas Nuevas usually comes in to practice for Sunday afternoon. Bob Walker drops by to fold the bulletins and set up for Sunday. He adds pew cards and changes the number board and does any other set up that is needed. Adele usually comes in to practice on Saturday mornings. She goes over the order of service and makes sure everything flow right. Our Praise team comes in to practice too.
I usually use Saturday to get my head ready for Sunday. I try to lay low, work on my sermon and pull together anything special that is going to happen the next day. Of course weddings, memorial services and youth group events often take priority. This time of year we have a lot of things going on. That means that every Saturday will have something. For example next Friday night the youth group will be participating in an all night event called the Super Bowl. That means I'll be home and sleeping in next Saturday.
The great thing about ministry is that it is fluid and that defines Saturdays. We do a lot of the same things at church but each one is always different. Why? Because the events always involve different people. The Super Bowl is a perfect example. Over the years nearly every teen in the church has gone at least once. Some have loved it and others never want to do it again. The kids make it what it is though. Their enthusiasm, excitement and energy feed into the night and make it unique every time. I remember the years when we went on a school bus because we had so many kids. That was a trip. I remember the first time we went. We actually stopped at a Denny's on the way home. There was the year that we celebrated Amy Rezendes' birthday. Like I said, every year is different.
Saturdays are like that too. You just never know what you'll find if you drop in.
I usually use Saturday to get my head ready for Sunday. I try to lay low, work on my sermon and pull together anything special that is going to happen the next day. Of course weddings, memorial services and youth group events often take priority. This time of year we have a lot of things going on. That means that every Saturday will have something. For example next Friday night the youth group will be participating in an all night event called the Super Bowl. That means I'll be home and sleeping in next Saturday.
The great thing about ministry is that it is fluid and that defines Saturdays. We do a lot of the same things at church but each one is always different. Why? Because the events always involve different people. The Super Bowl is a perfect example. Over the years nearly every teen in the church has gone at least once. Some have loved it and others never want to do it again. The kids make it what it is though. Their enthusiasm, excitement and energy feed into the night and make it unique every time. I remember the years when we went on a school bus because we had so many kids. That was a trip. I remember the first time we went. We actually stopped at a Denny's on the way home. There was the year that we celebrated Amy Rezendes' birthday. Like I said, every year is different.
Saturdays are like that too. You just never know what you'll find if you drop in.
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