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

More information and registration materials coming soon

Urgent -- Annual Reports Are Due

The National deadline for submitting Annual Reports to ABCUSA is July 31st. We have only collected 50% of the reports we need from our Michigan churches. This is very important to the ABC-MI for statistical information for our National and Regional database. With updated information regarding our pastors and churches we can provide accurate, current directories and other needed information throughout the year. We request your immediate response to this matter and thank you very much in advance! If you have misplaced your forms, please feel free to contact Debbie Hart at the Region Office at 800.632.2953 ext. 221 or dhart@abc-mi.org.

Report on "Future Search"

The recent "Future Search" conference brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from across the Region. Jack Bender of the Future Search Network and Ron Cary served as co-facilitators. Bender has written an article about ABC-MI's Future Search which will appear in a national Future Search Network publication. E-Link Online has received permission to publish the article. > > > Read about Future Search.

Arrivals, Departures, Celebrations, Concerns

Click on the right arrow above for a brief slideshow.

§ First Baptist Church of Grand Blanc celebrated 175 years of ministry in Grand Blanc on June 1. The church has served in the same location for most of its 175 years of existence. It was a great day of celebration, with representatives from around the Region bringing greetings. Among long time members honored, Elizabeth Swift was recognized for 80 years of membership and was presented a flower by Seth Cunningham. Dee Wilson and Brenda Von Linsowe sang a special number. Ric Cunningham, the youth minister, led the choir. The Rev. Todd Regester brought greetings on behalf of the North Area, the Rev. Tucker Gunneman presented a plaque to Moderator Bill Swift on behalf of the Region in recognition of the congregation's 175 year history. Former pastor Dr. Scott Arnold was present as well as the Rev. Raleigh Adams, who grew up in the church and received his call to ministry while there. The Rev. Darrell Folz, interim minister, brought an inspiring message reminding those present that as the church has experienced effective ministry in the past, they will do so in the future his cry was "Yes we can!" There was great music from the adult choir, kid's choir, and special music. The day ended with a wonderful time of fellowship.

§ Lola Wiemer, widow of the late Rev. Loyal (Bud) Wiemer, former pastor at Clarklake Community Church, died Wednesday, July 9, 2008, at age 95. Lola is survived by her son, Douglas (Sue) Wiemer of Toledo, OH; daughter, Carol Omo of Clarklake; grandchildren, David Wiemer, Elizabeth Freeman, and Dan Omo; and six great-grandchildren. A Memorial Celebration will be held at Clarklake Community Church on Monday, July 28, at 10:00am with her grandson-in-law Rev Kurt Freeman officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Clarklake Community Church or the CCIS Food Pantry, 171 Wamplers Lake Rd., Brooklyn, MI 49230. For her obituary go to http://tinyurl.com/6l6k8l.

Missionaries Katherine and Wayne Niles to Visit Michigan

ABC-MI local churches have opportunities to host ABC International Missionaries Wayne and Katherine Niles September 1-5. The Niles will have their own transportation. The local church is responsible for providing meals and lodging and for receiving a Love Offering at the time when Katherine and Wayne present their work in Congo.

Wayne will also be in Michigan October 13-18 and will again be available to speak in local churches interested in developing a relationship with the Niles. For any of the dates in September and October please contact Debbie Hart at the Region Office at 800.632.2953 or dhart@abc-mi.org to make your request. Thank you!

God At Work: Katherine Niles

Katherine works with a group of Congolese Christian professionals to train urban and rural health care promoters. The staff of a church-related health center in Kinshasa is also using her expertise to make their medical ministry more holistic as they care for urban poor people.

God At Work: Wayne Niles

Wayne is helping Congolese grow more food to make a living. He is part of a team of local and international participants that are implementing a development project which distributes new seeds, disease resistant varieties of crops, and makes small loans to finance improved processing methods.

The conference that will pay for itself over and over again

Save the date, Saturday September 13, 2008. for "Stewardship All Year 'Round", a one-day conference to explore how your church can make the most of its stewardship efforts.

The First United Methodist Church of Jackson, MI welcomes the churches of ABC-MI to an event which will show how to develop a program to make people's relationship with money a natural and ongoing part of the church's conversation.

Rev. Jeanette Dickens

The keynote speaker will be Rev. Jeanette Dickens, who was recently featured in Church Executive Magazine. Workshops will include "Giving of Self" with David Elsey, "Strategic Debt Reduction" with Rev. Bill Rowland, and "Budgeting for the Kingdom" with John Landis. Other workshops will include: "Giving Beyond Your Lifetime", "Planning a Peaceful Future", "God, Youth and Money"--for youth, and "God, Kids and Money"--for kids.

The cost for this event is $40 per person (discounts for multiple participants from one church available), $20 for youth, kids 12 and under attending with parents are free. Continental breakfast and home cooked lunch are included.

Contact Bill Rowland, Church Administrator, First United Methodist Church, 275 West Michigan Avenue, Jackson, MI 49201, (517) 787-6460.

Quotebag

If we want to understand God's goodness in God's gifts, then we must think of them as a responsbility we bear for our brothers and sisters. Let none say, 'God has blessed us with money and possessions' and then live as if they and their God are alone in the world. For the time will come when they realize that they have been worshiping the idols of their good fortune and selfishness. Possessions are not God's blessing and goodness, but the opportunities of service which God entrusts to us." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, sermon preached in 1931 on Psalm 63:3 ("your steadfast goodness is better than life").

Short Notices

Bethel Baptist Church of Lansing invites all to a concert on Sunday evening, August 3, at 7pm featuring Crimson Leavitt, a 13 year old who sings and writes country gospel music. Crimson is amazingly accomplished for her age, having played at churches, fairs and other venues across the South and having already won numerous music awards, including two from the North American Country Music Association in Nashville, TN. A freewill offering will be taken, and there will be refreshments following the concert.

Friendship House Golf Outing: Attention all golfers. Please see this flyer for infomation about Friendship House's 3rd Annual Golf Outing on September 27. This is a fund raiser to support the ministry of friendship and harvest house. Put your foursomes together and call to reserve your spot! We are also looking for hole sponsors and raffle door prizes. -- Dennis Trezona.

The Central Area has planned a fellowship event for seniors on Thursday, September 18, at Olivet Baptist Church, Lansing, starting at 11:00 A.M. The event will include lunch and a program by Mandy Bashore. Mandy has been in full timeÊministry as a singer, speaker, and dramatist for ten years. Through her music and speaking Mandy shares a message that is inspiring and encouraging. The cost for the event is $5.00 and you can register by calling Olivet Baptist Church, 517-887-0988.

American Baptist clergywomen have planned a one-day conference at St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, on September 30, 2008. Led by the Rev. Dr. Mary Ellen Ashcroft, the event is called Quickening the Art Spirit: Kindling and Encouraging Vitality of Faith Through Questing, Quieting, Creating. The brochure and registration form are available in two PDF files: here and here. Dr. Ashcroft is chaplain and professor of English at Kalamazoo College. She is known as a scholarly storyteller whose books allow readers to live alongside Jesus and followers such as Mary Magdalene, Lydia, and Martha.

Michigan Church World Service is sponsoring the Learn and Serve Bus Trip to Baltimore, November 10-14, 2008. The Learn and Serve trip was created to help people gain a better understanding of the CWS Kits and Tools and Blankets Programs, and learn more about hunger and justice-related issues. The trip includes an opportunity to serve for a few hours in the gift shop warehouse and service center where the blankets and kits are coordinated. The trip includes transportation, lodging, meals and some sightseeing in Baltimore at a cost of $430. Registration deadline is September 8. For more detailed information and registration, contact Pam at 888-297-2767 or pfolkers@churchworldservice.org.

This week's Prayer Call for ABC International Ministries calls attention to the needs of the our missionaries. > > > Go to Prayer Call.

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 August 11, 2008. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by August 7.

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. Suggestions for "Trips" and readers' comments are welcome. Send to editor@abc-mi.org.

The Editor

»»  Dan Buttry played vital role in Christian-Muslim dialogue in Lebanon -- http://tinyurl.com/5jt7ac
»»  Can concern for ecology and for the Second Coming co-exist? -- http://tinyurl.com/5rx7bo
»»  Should secular songs be used in worship? -- http://tinyurl.com/6bh3cp
»»  "More Than a Week" ABC Youth conference draws 1,400 to Estes Park -- http://tinyurl.com/693lzh
»»  World's Oldest Bible (Codex Sinaiticus) goes online -- http://tinyurl.com/6s999d
»»  Where did all the men go? MIA in church -- http://tinyurl.com/67rftm

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