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.

Voices -- The Prayer of Sir Francis

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.
 --Sir Francis Drake (1577)

[h/t Mike Williams]

Arrivals, Departures, Celebrations, Concerns

§ The Rev. John Paschen contacted E-Link Online's editor to express his gratitude to the ABC-MI family for all the encouragement and prayers which have sustained him during his recent surgeries.

§ Allen Park Baptist Church will close its doors on June 27, 2008. The furnishings of the building and Sunday school and other supplies are being disposed of. See the announcement below under Short Notices.

Region Future Search Conference

reported by Ron Cary

They came from every section of the state of Michigan, except for the upper peninsula. They represented what arguably was the most diverse group of American Baptists in Michigan ever to assemble with the common goal of seeking God's vision for our ministry together. They were lay persons and clergy, young and old, black, white, Hispanic and Burmese. They shared a wide range of theological perspectives but a common commitment to Jesus Christ. They laughed and cried, they prayed and talked and listened and planned for 2-1/2 days during a future search conference held at St. Francis Retreat Center June 2-4. Fifty-five Michigan Baptists gathered under the theme of Nurturing Healthy Churches That Impact Our World.

The intent of the conference was to seek future directions for maturing the Region's Growing Healthy Churches initiative. During the conference, participants examined the past from personal, regional and global perspectives, going back to 1971 when the Michigan Baptist Convention merged with the Detroit Association to form the American Baptist Churches of Michigan. Participants then worked to understand current trends that impact our present work as Michigan Baptists. Based on these trends, they established key principles on which to base action steps that will guide our work as a Region in the coming years.

There's still time to register for camp at Lake Louise. Go to www.camplakelouise.com. Some partial camper scholarship help is still available. Contact Dave Johnson at 800-440-1238

The conference involved hard work and rich thinking which led to many positive results. As one participant said, "We gathered, we listened, we shared, we formed a vision of hope for God's work through God's people. We formed a plan of action, we began the fulfilling of that plan, and we went away with hope for a better world." Many of the participants echoed similar thoughts about the conference, one of them noting that "Our future collectively is much brighter than many would like to imagine."

Such follow-up work will be done as a result of new directions and initiatives established at this conference. A full conference report is being prepared and will be submitted to the Region board executive committee who commissioned the conference. If you would like to receive a copy of the report, please request the "Future Search Conference Report" from Sheila Kaminski (skaminiski@abc-mi.org). Go to the Region Photo Gallery (http://tinyurl.com/4btgcc) to view pictures of the conference.

Battle Creek Gathering Prays for Burma

by Pat Hernandez

Click on Picture for Larger Image

"In becoming part of FBC Battle Creek...we are returning home. We are Baptists because 200 years ago you sent missionaries to us. Now we are coming home."

Rev. David Laisum

So said Rev. David Laisum, Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Battle Creek, as he reflected on the important role that First Baptist Church of Battle Creek and ABC-MI has played in the resettling of Burmese refugees. Although he, his wife and son fled the oppressive military regime in Burma and have now settled into Battle Creek, they will not forget the thousands who are still oppressed.

Those thousands have especially been on the hearts and minds of Rev. Laisum and the Burmese community after Cyclone Nargis struck Burma, killing nearly 100,000 and leaving many more thousands homeless. Compounding the tragedy is the military regime which has made it difficult for aide workers to enter the country and for resources to get to the people who need them most.

Rev. Van Lian

In response, First Baptist Church of Battle Creek recently partnered with the Battle Creek Chin Baptist Church and Lakeview Baptist Church to host a service of prayer bringing together Chin people from throughout the Battle Creek area as well as church and community members, including the mayor. Pastors Allen Rogers and David Laisum (FBC Battle Creek), Morris Anderson (Lakeview) and Van Lian (Chin Baptist Church) led the congregation in song and celebration, reminding all of the power of prayer even in the midst of uncertainty and terrible destruction.

Those wishing to help with relief efforts, may do so through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering, designating gifts "Myanmar Cyclone." If you wish to help with resettlement efforts here in Michigan, particularly in the Battle Creek area, you may do so through the America for Christ offering, designating your gift to "Burmese refugee resettlement." You may also contribute to the "Sowing Seeds of Ministry" offering which supports ABC-MI in its many ministry endeavors, including refugee resettlement.

The stories of Rev. Laisum's and Rev. Lian's journeys from Burma to Battle Creek are included in the "Sowing Seeds of Ministry" booklet. For a quick view of the two men's stories go to http;//abc-mi.org/elink/ABCdavidlaisum.pdf and http://abc-mi.org/elink/ABCvanlian.pdf. The booklet is available at http://tinyurl.com/3pnw6r.

Short Notices

Allen Park Baptist Church has elected to close on June 27, 2008. Furnishings and other things like Sunday School supplies, books, Bibles, hymnals are available only to ABC-MI churches on a first-come, first serve basis at an open house next Saturday June 21 from 9am to 3pm. Please note those who come to pick up items must identify themselves with a letter signed by the pastor of whatever church they are representing. See list of items at http://abc-mi.org/elink/allenparkinv.pdf. The church is located at 18605 Midway, Allen Park. Direct any questions to Tim Grubbe at 313.333.4973 (cell) or 313.928.2965 (home).

Camp Lael is looking for few people to serve on their board. Have you had a passion for camping? Have you or your families had fun or been enriched by attending camp? We meet a minimum of four times a year and enjoy working for God's outdoor kingdom. If you are interested in serving, contact Gary Vanek at vangm@aol or 248-585-9377. Sixty percent of the board members must be American Baptists.

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 30, 2008. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by June 26.

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

»»  War on Drugs a Failure -- Bob Barr --http://tinyurl.com/5wjujb
»»  Read the Spirit Talks with Brian McLaren -- http://tinyurl.com/6jbp3k
»»  How Responding to Peoples' Needs Hurts the Church -- http://tinyurl.com/5dlmzl
»»  Broken Bread for Special Diets -- http://tinyurl.com/64zhu9
»»  Feedback from Congregation Improves Sermons --http://tinyurl.com/3ob2nl (an SPE study produced in cooperation with the Center for Excellence in Congregational Leadership (CECL) [h/t Mike Williams]
»»  Christians Should Expect More from Their Candidates -- http://tinyurl.com/4xq8r3
»»  Learning to Apologize -- http://tinyurl.com/6zdwg3

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