An inside look at Monday's activities

Mondays are funny days at church. This week I was off and running very early. I came into the office at 8:00 a.m. and got a few things ready for the day and then was off to an appointment across town at 8:30 a.m. I am a member of the Norwich Rotary club and we had some work to do in preparation for our Charity Auction this coming week-end.

I joined the Norwich Rotary club in the spring of 1991. Three of our members Len Royce, Ed Regets & Dick Strouse) belonged at the time and Len Royce asked me if I would like to come to lunch with him. I didn't know very much about Rotary back then but I had been asked to speak at a meeting in the Rose Garden in June of 1990 and enjoyed the experience. They seemed like a great group of people. I would later come to find out that the Rotary club is made up of professional men and women from across the community. Many of the leading citizens of the city belong to the club. Many prominent business men and women have had their associations with the club over the years.

Now Rotary isn't just a social club or a prestige society. It is an organization that tries to make a difference in the community by working with different agencies in the city and at times by raising money for the groups and their programs. For example, we hope to raise between $10,000 -25,000 to support the Mahan Coat Fund, The Dictionary Project, and the Friendly Neighbor program for Schwartz Manor at this weekend's auction. Every year we provide close to 500 winter coats for children in the city. It costs over $10,000 to do this. We also provide dictionaries for every fifth grader in the city schools. This is part of Rotary International's Literacy program. We also provide a few groceries to the resident's of one of the city's poorest housing complex.

Now joining Rotary for their philanthropic or social connections should be reason enough for me to get involved. But I have another reason to do it as pastor of the church. I do it so I can be grounded in the world outside the church. Too often we pastors become insulated in the church and lose touch with the world. It becomes harder and harder to relate to every day life. Our sermons become intellectual fodder or pie in the sky rhetoric that doesn't touch the hearts of the people in our pews. I have always believed that to be a good pastor you need to be in the world, but not of the world, as Paul says in his epistles. The people I sit with each week at Rotary are good people. Some go to church or synagogue. Some don't.

The Rotary Club also gives me a community I can reach out to with the gospel and practice the type of relational evangelism that I encourage everyone else to do. The idea is to make friends outside the church and let Christ's light shine through you. I've always felt that the pastor has to model what he preaches. I'm not an evangelist like Billy Graham, but I love Jesus and I let it show when I go out into the community. I have met some wonderful people through Rotary and a few of them, including Matt Isenburg, have ended up coming to be a part of our church community. I have also been able to minister to several folks in the club and pray with them in difficult times. It is an extension of our ministry in that way.

Anyway, that's why I was off to the Rotary meeting. At 10:00 a.m. I was off to a meeting with the chaplains at Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut. I have been a hospice chaplain off and on since 1988. I got involved when Russell Furbush, one of our members, was taken on the program. I was immediately impressed by the dedication and care that the nurses and health care team provided. When then asked me to join them, I readily agreed.

Over the years I have ministered to many of our people as well as to others in the community. I have networked with other pastors, led seminars on grief and pastoral care, ministry to the elderly and hospice chaplaincy. In order to do that I needed to read up and learn more about the issues and I think it has made me a better pastor.

I always look at my involvements in the wider community from two different points of view. The first is whether or not the commitment will enhance what I am doing for the church and make me a better pastor. The second is whether or not what I am doing will make a difference in the community or the lives of the people I meet. Both Rotary and Hospice meet those criteria.

At noon I dropped in the office and my administrative assistant, Sandy had updated the web page, outlined the Sunday bulletin, made changes in the mailing list and cleaned up my mess from over the weekend. I checked in with her and we made plans for the rest of the week.

After lunch I came back to the office and did some catching up on office work from last week. I always seem to be about a week behind, if not more. I am a classic hurdle jumper and the more immediate the need for a project, the more likely it is to get done. So last weekend I was working frantically on the booklets and slide show for Basketball Sunday. This week I am paying the price for it.

After a break to go to the gym and work out at 3:00 p.m. on the exercise machines with Scot Rapoza (He is making me do it! He challenged me to a "get healthy" contest) I came back to the office to clean up and prepare for a meeting with a family who had recently lost a loved one. I have a memorial service for Herbert Lawton on Saturday and the family came in to talk about Herb and the service.

Someone once asked me if I did weddings and funerals for anyone. The simple answer is that I will consider a service for anyone. I believe that if someone is reaching out to God, then I need to hear them out.

I do weddings for folks who want God's blessing on their marriage. They don't need to belong to the church. I always encourage them to get involved with a church and to seek God if they want their marriage to be all that it can be. The same is true for funerals. I usually try to only do services for people I know. I don't solicit funerals. I also don't promise anything I can't guarantee. All I do is lift up the hope that we all have is that God will be merciful and point people to the promises that if we believe in Christ we will be saved. Most of my funerals come from referrals from family and friends of the person who passed away. That was the case for Mr. Lawton.

By the time I finished up with the family I headed out to do some personal errands (you know like grocery shopping!) I got home and wrote up an entry for the other blog and then called it a day. As you can tell from this entry, every day tends to be a little different. And most of them are good!

cal

Basketball Recognition Sunday

This morning we celebrated our basketball ministry during church. Cameron Barnhill, Jordan Souvenance, Bethany Stone, Brandon Favors, Jack Greenwood, Jordan and Jason Volpe were present and we gave thanks for the ministry that Fred and the coaches have had with them.


We didn't have a lot of the kids there this morning and over the years attendance at the service has been up and down. None-the-less it doesn't take away from the ministry we do with the kids all winter long. Fred is going to try and extend our time with them by doing some youth ministry in the coming months.

I do hope that going forward we might take the next step in this ministry and have more of a church presence at the games. It goes back to the idea of the missional church I have been talking about. We need to claim this ministry and start ministering to the kids and their families every week during the winter. The only way we can do that is by being present. I believe God has given us a tremendous opportunity to change lives. Many of the kids come from troubled homes. We can be a support to the families and offer them the love of God.

Several years ago we had a mom and two boys who entered our program. I talked with her every week. She had a bad experience with church and had turned away from God. In my one on one conversations with her that began to change. Imagine what can happen if ten or fifteen of us were present at the games every week, getting to know the families. What an impact we could make. Today was a beginning. Pray about it and let's see what God can do.

I want to thank Andy Higgins, George Strouse, Patricia Ohlund, George Rezendes, Cliff Vanase and the others who volunteered to spend a few minutes sharing their testimonies and stories with the kids this past season. Only God knows what seeds were planted.

We are planning a pizza party for the kids in a few weeks. I'll let you know when it is. Maybe some of you can join us.

Cal.

Rocking the church tonight

Our youth group hosted a concert tonight and about fifty people were on hand. Our Praise team kicked off the evening with some contemporary music. They were great. Then after some snacks and a bit of game playing, the group headed back upstairs to enjoy some Christian Rock music by Fireproof, a band from Rhode Island. Thanks to Fred, Gwyn, Steve, Cheryl and June for making it happen.

Here are a few photos from tonights concert.

Cal

The next five year mission

"Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it." ~ Anonymous

* Lunches for the poor.
* Food pantry
* Financial assistance for families in crisis.
* Hosting a Spanish and Korean congregation.
* Sports outreach through coaching and mentoring
* Mission team to Mexico

Last week in San Diego I went to a seminar with some of the top writers on the Missional church. I was excited as Tony Jones, Dan Kimball and Danyelle Schroyer began to define the missional church.

They began by asking "What does the Gospel calls us to do?" It doesn't compel us to be a bookstore or comfort station for a coffee club. The Gospel sends us out into the world to transform the world. We are the body of Christ in the world, sent out as salt and light to save it. We have a mission and it isn't confined to the walls of a sanctuary.

One of the speakers lifted up Abraham as an example of one whom God blessed. In Genesis God says to him "I am going to bless you so you can be a blessing." That's our calling today as the church. We come together to learn and to practice loving and taking care of each other. Then we go out and take that love into the world.

Another speaker described the church as "a worshiping community on a mission." I got excited because we are on that path with what we are doing. Our ministry continues to grow in its outward focus. Our people are beginning to see that they have a calling to share God's love at work, at home and at play. That has been the goal of our sports ministries and many of the other things we have done.

So I was extremely disappointed when someone asked the obvious question of the panel. In describing their experiences each of the speakers had mentioned that they left their home church to start a new ministry. The audience member asked if they felt a traditional church could become a missional church. They looked at each with a tinge of embarrassment and one after another they admitted that they didn't think it could be done.

Hence, my original quote. It is time for a new expert to arise. Someone, some church to prove them wrong. ABCCONN is inviting churches to participate in a study of the missional church. For the next sixteen months we are going to explore what it means and reach out with God's love in at least one new way. If you want to be a part of this, let me know. It is going to be exciting.

Cal

Be present in time of trial

This was an emotional day at church. We celebrated the life of Jennifer Baruti Marcy with a funeral service that brought people into church from all over. It was a full house with standing room only. We sang hymns of faith, heard testimonies from her friends and heard the promises of scripture. With such a tragic death, the Gospel takes the forefront and speaks to people in a way that is often missed. Everyone gathered to ask why this young mother and wife was stricken with this terrible disease.

It was hard for me because there are no easy answers to give. But in the final analysis God reminds us that he loves us and no matter what happens to us nothing can separate us from his love. The best compliment I received today was from Jen's dad. When I extended my sympathy to him after the service he simply said, "Your words helped a great deal."

I think that all any of us can do in the face of tragedy is to be with one another. To be present and to hold one another's hand is a tremendous blessing. We don't have to say much. We can be content to simply be.

I want to thank all those who cooked meals for Mark and the girls over the last month. They were very much appreciated. Our Deacons are planning to keep the list alive and make this ministry one that continues in the future for other families.

Well it has been a long day. Good night. God Bless!

Cal

Together for a purpose

My day began today with a breakfast at Wildwood Christian School and an introduction to their program. Pastor Chuck Tyree and the administration of the school invited the clergy to come and see what they are doing.

I was impressed. They have a real commitment to providing quality education in a setting that allows for the children to grow and express their faith. We also got a chance to witness the kids as they performed a scene from the upcoming school production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

One of the teachers shared her experiences of working in the public schools for 8 1/2 years and contrasted that with what she experienced at Wildwood. She talked about the support she received from administration and parents as she worked with the children.

The chairman of the school's board was present and he lifted up his dream of having several churches come together to promote and build the school as a real alternative to the public school. If you would like more information on the school, I have a packet that I brought back to the office with me.

As Pastor I am very fortunate in that I get to talk with other pastors, priests and rabbis about what they are doing to build up families, and especially the children in our community. We also talk about our ministries to the community around us. Sometimes I bring these ideas back to the church and e end up getting involved in some way. Once in a while another pastor asks me about what we are doing and they take ideas back to their setting.

I am constantly reminded that we are not an island doing ministry alone. We are connected to the wider body of Christ. That's why I believe it is good for us to participate in Ecumenical Lenten Services, Interfaith Thanksgiving Services, and to attend ABCCONN's Spring Fling and Annual Meeting. A few years ago several of us attended the ABCUSA Biennial Meeting. These opportunities to get together with other people of faith outside ou church community help stretch our faith and open the door for God to speak to us in new ways.

Next Saturday Oliver Bray is going with me to ABCCONN's Spring fling in Wallingford. It is a day of workshops on evangelism. The primary speaker is Dr. Jeff Jones of National Ministries ABCUSA and he is going to talk about faith in the workplace.

On April 26 ABCCONN will have its Annual Meeting in Hartford and Dr. Molly Marshall will be the featured speaker. Dr. Marshall is the President of Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas and a gifted speaker. I hope some of you will think about attending.

On May 10 some of our men will be going to Worcester for a Men's Conference, Chuck Colson will be the primary speaker. It will bless those who can go.

Keep your eyes peeled for future opportunities and take advantage of them. You will be blessed.

A Day of Baptist fun

Yesterday was the big day. We celebrated our common Baptist roots in worship with our sisters and brothers from Central Baptist. We had a good turnout and a wonderful worship experience. We commissioned our short term mission team, heard the music of our Praise team and the combined choir. Michelle Madsen Bibeau preached and we came together around the communion table and then again in a circle of fellowship. Several of us then retired to Fellowship Hall for a pot luck luncheon.

The day began with Sunday School and it got off to a good start despite some icy steps out back. The coffee pot was flowing and so was the fellowship. I've included a few photos to let you see the action. Janet Jeffcoate took some pictures during worship and I hope to have them up for you in the next week or so. Stay tuned for more.

Cal