E-Link Online -- News of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan

Camp Lael High School Weekend Retreat June 27-29

A NEW SUMMER OFFERING AT CAMP!

Maybe you can't do a week of summer camp this year but still want to have a camp experience. We will pack a lot into this weekend with a guest speaker and a band. The format will be similar to our winter weekend programs except there will be more to do for free time than go sledding! The weekend includes four meals, two snacks, the program and lodging, plus waterfront time and a chance to climb our ropes course.

Groups are required to bring their own chaperones. COST: $60 per person. $50 for chaperones. Music by "God made the Stars" Speaker TBA. This event will be a lot of fun and not a lot of work for youth leaders! Join us!

Camp Lael is offering a first time camper discount of $25 for anyone who has never attended the summer program at Lael. This discount also applies to campers who have not attended the summer program in the past three years. We also have a limited number of $100 scholarships that are offered on a first come first serve basis. Call Jim Davis at Camp Lael for details.

Register online at www.camplael.com.

Arrivals, Departures, Celebrations, Concerns

§ On Sunday, May 25, the New Liberty Baptist Church in Detroit held a service of installation for its new pastor, the Rev. Maurice Stimage, Jr. Rev. Lionel Jackson, pastor of the Sonora Missionary Baptist Church, brought the message and Rev. Ronald Cary brought a welcome to the new pastor from the American Baptist Churches of Michigan. In the context of the day, Rev. Stimage said, "I am honored and grateful to God and the New Liberty congregation for embracing me as their fourth pastor in 70 years of life."

§ The ABC-MI family extends condolences to the Rev. Alan Maki and family in the death of Rev. Maki's ninety-one year old father. In reflecting on his Dad, Rev. Maki shared his great privilege to lead his father and best friend to faith in Jesus Christ several years ago. Rev. Maki will lead a memorial service for his father to be held in Colorado. Rev. Maki is pastor of the First Baptist Church of Tecumseh. Condolences may be sent to: 489 Tilton Drive, Tecumseh, MI 49286

§ In June the Rev. John H. Arnold celebrates 30 years of full time service in the ABC-MI. He was youth pastor at Lakeview Baptist Church, Battle Creek, and served as senior pastor at both Huntly Memorial Baptist, Niles, and Westhaven Baptist Church, Port Huron (where continues to lead). He has been West Area chair, Region board member, Executive committee member, Christian Education committee member. He has also led the state youth convention and worked at our summer camps for over 30 years and much more. Congratulations, Pastor John! His wife Kathy's father Ronald Morrison passed away on May 25. He was at home with his wife Ilene and family after a short bout with cancer. Keep them in your prayers.

Region President Turman Urges Support for "Future Search"

The Rev. Dr. Kevin Turman, ABC-MI President, has sent a letter to all pastors in the Region, asking them to encourage their congregations to pray for the Future Search gathering which is taking place this week, June 2-4. In the letter he said:

I am asking that you pray during your services this week or during your prayer time over the weekend for the success of the Future Search gathering of ABC-MI leaders next week, June 2 4. This effort seeks to gain, from its 60 or so participants, the elements of a common vision of ministry and mission for our Region. To quote from the Future Search material, "In a Future Search, people seek common ground rather than resolve conflicts; focus on the future rather than solve old problems; generate broad commitment to a common goal; and take responsibility for action."

The full text of the letter is available at: http://abc-mi.org/elink/turman-future-search.pdf.

The Kingdom Assignment: First Baptist Church, Midland

A year ago something remarkable happened in the life of The First Baptist Church, Midland. A member of the congregation returned to Midland after a visit to California bearing news of an exciting program she had discovered while visiting The Coast Hills Community Church. The founding pastors, Denny and Leesa Bellesi, had created a ministry they called The Kingdom Assignment. After learning about this program, the congregation grew excited and suddenly someone anonymously donated a $10,000 gift embracing this new possibility.

So, one Fall Sunday morning the pastor, John Dick, shared a sermon focused upon discipleship and concluded with a challenge to the congregation. People were invited to come forward to accept an envelope which contained $100. Their assignment was to use the money to in some way enhance the Kingdom of God. There were no strings attached and all a person had to do was share their experience after 90 days. The story-sharing took place at a church wide dinner celebrating the good things that were happening.

The results of this endeavor were remarkable. As people began telling their stories, it was clear the seed money was being used to begin new ministries throughout our community. Some people donated their $100 to worthy organizations, while many others literally started their own ministries. For example, one member (Chuck McCourt) started something he called "Recycle a Bicycle". An avid cyclist, his intent was to find a few used bikes people no longer wanted in order to fix them up in time for Christmas. He was then going to distribute them to needy children. To date, Chuck has recruited a team of about 40 people from throughout the community and they have rehabilitated nearly 200 bicycles which have been given to children and to adults needing transportation. His $100 has grown to be worth thousands of dollars and the ministry has just begun.

The results of this endeavor were remarkable. As people began telling their stories, it was clear the seed money was being used to begin new ministries throughout our community.

Another member of the congregation (Roland Wallace) started a ministry he calls "Instruments of Peace". In a similar way Roland, whose passion is music, found good instruments no longer being used and sought out youngsters who would never have the opportunity to learn an instrument. He has recruited music teachers throughout the mid-Michigan area to give lessons to these students free of charge and many other initiatives have grown out of this endeavor. Roland's $100 has turned into thousands of dollars in services and gifts and the ministry continues to grow larger every month.

These stories were multiplied many, many times over through the creative and energetic initiatives of members in First Baptist. Many new feeding programs have been established.... a backpack ministry so students on free lunch programs in our neighboring elementary school have food to eat over the weekends, a new HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) ministry team has been organized, a chapter of Angel Food Ministries has been started. In addition the church is now ministering to people in prison on a regular basis, reaching out to shelters meeting the needs of victims of domestic abuse, aiding homeless shelters, and the list goes on. One gentleman (Allen Ross) in the congregation kept his $100 in his wallet and upon seeing a need used it to take action in the moment to help the individual. Growing out of that experience came his personal commitment to replace that $100 out of his own pocket so he will always be prepared to respond when the opportunity presents itself. This project has "given him eyes to better see the world all around".

Change the World, One Assignment at a Time

No one could have imagined how this new approach to ministry and mission would explode throughout our community. It came to us at God's perfect moment and the impact has been unforgettable. It is no coincidence that since this initiative unfolded, many new young families are making their way into the life of First Baptist. And most recently, the church was notified that the international organization for The Kingdom Assignment has chosen First Baptist, Midland to honor as one of its outstanding congregations. Pastor John Dick and his wife, Paula, along with Kay Norris who brought this idea to Midland have been invited to California to represent the church, to tell their story, and to receive the award on behalf of the congregation. John says that "never in his life has he ever seen any ministry take hold of a church lending itself to such significant outreach throughout the community. The family of faith has taken a $10,000 gift and multiplied it many, many times over all in an effort to enhance the Kingdom of God. We will never be the same. It has opened a whole new chapter in the life of our church, and is enhancing week by week our impact upon and our standing in the community." If you want an assignment that will change your life and your church, give John a call. He'll be glad to share the details. John can be reached at 989-835-6731 or email him at john_d@ameritech.net.

Myanmar/China Relief Church World Service

As the death tolls continue to climb from the cyclone that hit Myanmar (Burma) on May 3 and the massive earthquake that struck south central China on May 12, aid agencies are responding with emergency and recovery assistance to survivors.

"Thanks to local partners and pre-positioned supplies, Church World Service was able to begin responding quickly to both these tragedies," says David Bower, Director of the Michigan CWS/CROP office. "CROP hunger walks like the ones here in Michigan make possible ongoing partnerships that are crucial when emergencies strike."

Though questions continue to arise about the Myanmar government and the distribution of aid, "Church World Service support is reaching survivors," says Bower. "Aid is coming through channels that are still open into the country, and CWS-sponsored local organizations are reaching very poor villages that nobody else can access."

To find out more about the work of CWS, go to www.churchworldservice.org.

Position Available: Youth Minister

First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor (FBCA2) seeks a Youth Minister to develop and oversee all ministries to junior high and high school aged youth, with the goal of nurturing Christian faith. First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor is a congregation of the American Baptist Churches USA, located in Ann Arbor's thriving downtown, on the edge of the University of Michigan campus. FBCA2 is dedicated to serving all persons in the community through ministries including preaching and worship, Christian education, music, and outreach, in the name of Christ and to the glory of God.

Qualifications:

‡ Bachelor's degree (master's preferred) in a relevant field (e.g., youth ministry, pastoral ministry, divinity, Christian education, religion, sociology, etc.)
‡ Experience leading youth ministry
‡ Basic administrative skills
‡ Healthy personal spiritual life
‡ Self-motivated leader who can work well with teams, including church staff, volunteers, and youth
‡ Supportive of American Baptist Churches USA tradition and of a theology congruent with the pastoral ministries and vision of FBCA2.

This is a half-time, year-round position.

For a more detailed job description and application procedures, go to www.fbca2.org. Applications accepted through June 17, 2008. For more information, contact Rev. William Foster, Chair, Youth Ministry Search Committee, at FosterW@trinity-health.org.

Short Notices

Pastor Jose Manuel Ruiz Garcia is the pastor of La Iglesia Bautista De Nandasmo, Nicaragua (the Baptist Church of Nandasmo, Nicaragua) which has been in a Sister Church relationship with the First Baptist Church of Ann Arbor for almost twenty years. Pastor Manuel will be staying in Ann Arbor from June 28th through August 29 and available for visits to the churches of the Region. He may be scheduled for pulpit replacement or to speak to groups during the week. (Pastor Manuel also plays guitar and sings beautifully.) Please contact Toni Burton to discuss scheduling Pastor Manuel at your church (stearnsl@aaps.k12.mi.us).

The current issue of Prayer Call for ABC International Ministries is online at http://abc-mi.org/elink/prayer-call.pdf.

The Friendship House Newsletter is now provided in both PDF and DOC formats. The DOC format is a much smaller file and will take much less time to acquire on slow dialup connections. Read it in PDF at http://abc-mi.org/elink/fh.pdf or in DOC format at http:abc-mi.org/fh.doc.

The next issue of E-Link Online will be published on June 16, 2008. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by June 12.

Editor's Trips

Disclaimer: listing of these references does not imply endorsement of positions or policies advocated in them by either the American Baptist Churches of Michigan or the editor of E-Link Online. They are provided here for further thought, discussion, and inquiry. Caveat lector.

The Editor

»»  Not Many Tithers -- http://tinyurl.com/5ht52a
»»  Jesus Is Not a CEO -- http://tinyurl.com/6o3j4x
»»  Speaking Truth to Power -- http://tinyurl.com/4xktlq
»»  Letting God Speak for Himself -- http://tinyurl.com/4h6wlk
»»  Beyond "Experience" to Authenticity in Worship -- http://tinyurl.com/4fnoq8

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