Wider Church Wednesday

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

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

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

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

Cal

A few words about baptism

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cal

A good day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cal

We hold the key

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

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

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

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

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

A look at our broader ministry for Christ

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

Cal

Bible and basketball at FBC

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

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




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





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

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

Cal

Where does my help come from?

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

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

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

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

Cal