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

Issue 2009.19, September 8, 2009

Edward Thawnghmung Receives Battle Creek Enquirer George Award

by Pat Hernandez

Edward and Annie Thawnghmung

More than 100 people packed the fellowship area of First Baptist Church of Battle Creek to celebrate the bestowal of the prestigious Battle Creek Enquirer George Award on Edward Thawnghmung. The award recognizes those who have made a significant difference in their community.

As a member of First Baptist Church of Battle Creek and as President of the Burmese Christian Fellowship, as well as through his work with Lutheran Social Services, Thawngmung has helped hundreds of refugees flee Burma and resettle in the Battle Creek community .

Nearly 30 years ago in December of 1980, Edward himself, his wife Annie, and their seven children fled the harsh conditions and oppressive regime of the ruling military junta. With the help and support of the First Baptist Church of Battle Creek, the Thawnghmungs made the perilous 8,000 mile journey to Battle Creek.

Since that time, Edward has spoken out about human rights abuses and has worked tirelessly to help others make the journey to freedom and start a new life. Never forgetting whence he came, Edward sacrifices time, energy, and resources to help those still in need.

"Our economic situation here in Michigan is bad, but our faith calls us to remember those who are in much worse situations."

One of his newest projects is the support of an orphanage, the Lal Vum Children’s Home, named after his father. Located in northern Burma (now called Myanmar) this orphanage cares for the most vulnerable, children who have lost homes and families. What they haven’t lost is hope, which is kept alive through the support of Edward and many others whom he has drawn together.

When asked why he sacrifices so much, Edward responds. ‘Our economic situation here in Michigan is bad, but our faith calls us to remember those who are in much worse situations.” Says his pastor, the Rev. David Laisum, “His kind of spirit and sacrifice is what our community needs. Our Christian faith calls us to constantly reach out to those in need beyond our walls sharing and showing God’s love.”

Indeed, Edward, his family, and the growing community of the First Baptist Church of Battle Creek are a visible sign of God’s love at work in Battle Creek and beyond. For more about Thawnghmung see this blog entry.

Click on image to watch YouTube clip about the Annual Gathering

Women's Day Registration Deadline Extended

ABW Women's Day is at Northside Community Baptist Church, Ann Arbor, on Saturday, September 19, 9:30am-2:30pm. Registration is $10 and includes lunch.

The deadline to register has been extended to September 11. Please send to Marie Samples at 800 Cliffs Drive #43; Ypsilanti, MI 48198 as soon as possible. If you have any questions, contact Sandi Nichol at 248.669.4716 or sandi911@comcast.net.

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2009 ABCUSA Black Church Conference November 3-7

The 2009 Black Churches Conference will take place November 3-7, 2009 in the suburb of Matteson, Illinois which is just outside of Chicago. The theme for the conference is Power Connection: A Call to Greater Works (John 14:12).

The conference will offer opportunities for inspiring and uplifting worship, networking, and dialogue. The seminars and workshops will offer times to explore theology for a relevant ministry, while gathering tips and tools.

The ABC-MI is represented in leadership by the Rev. Ronald Burks, pastor of Palestine Missionary Baptist Church, Detroit. He will present a workshop entitled “Bigger is Not Always Better: Small Church Ministry.” In this workshop he will “offer ingredients for an effective ministry and guide participants through the process of revitalizing or building a mission outreach that makes a real difference in the lives of the people it touches.”

For more information or to register for the conference, go to: http://www.nationalministries.org/ABCPowerConnections/index.cfm.

Free Stuff at Region Office

The Region Office is cleaning house! We need storage space for new materials and want to find takers for old materials we no longer use. We have a collection of ChurchArtPro clip art material along with CD’s contained within 8 3-ring notebooks ranging in years from 1994-2001. This excellent material for use in newsletters and promotion materials is FREE to the first church that requests it. You may come to the Region Office to pick it up at your earliest convenience. Please contact Debbie Hart at 800.632.2953 ext. 221 or dhart@abc-mi.org. Thank you!

Annual Reports Reminder

As summer begins to wind down, the plans for the ABC-MI Equipping Event and Annual Meeting to be held October 16-17, 2009 are in full swing. Information is now being gathered for the Annual Meeting and Report Booklet. All annual reports of ABC-MI Staff, Ministry Team Chairpersons and Area Chairpersons are NOW DUE.

Please submit your report as a Word document via email to Debbie Reetz at dreetz@abc-mi.org.

It is vital that we have your report in order to share your story with our congregations. Thank you for your cooperation.

Important Notice to Delegates to Region Annual Meeting

Proposed changes to the Bylaws of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan will be presented for approval by the delegates at the Annual Business Meeting in October at Covenant Baptist Church in West Bloomfield. The details of these changes are available at http://www.abc-mi.org/?q=node/659.

Adopt a Cabin at Lake Louise

Camp Lake Louise is looking for individuals, families, churches, special groups, etc. to adopt a cabin. By adopting a cabin you can either donate the funds necessary to upgrade a particular cabin, and/or donate your time in doing the necessary work on the upgrades. Funding a cabin can be done in installments, as the funds are available, by you or your organization. Click here for more information.

80th Anniversary at Friendship House

The 80th Anniversary Celebration at Friendship House will be held on Friday, October 16, 2009, at Covenant Baptist Church, W. Bloomfield. Click here for the announcement and dinner reservation form.

Friendship House Golf Outing September 26

Golfers: This is a reminder that the 4th Annual Friendship House golf outing is coming September 26, 2009, at Fox Creek. Reservations are being taken now. Call 313-871-7443. We are also looking for sponsors and door prizes. Please do your best to support friendship house. Click here for poster (pdf) and here for sponsor solicitation letter (doc). -- Dennis Trezona

Fall Retreat at Lake Louise

Join us September 18-20 at Camp Lake Louise for the annual Fall Retreat. Open to all 6th - 9th graders, it will be an action packed weekend featuring Zach Bartels and the MAB band! Click here for flyer, here for registration form, and here for schedule.

Contact Ryan Madis at 800-440-1238 or ryan.madis@lakelouiserocks.com for more information. Stay tuned to www.camplakelouise.com and www.lakelouiserocks.com for updates as we spend another weekend getting Back to Basics. See you at Lake Louise this fall!

Introduction to Interim Ministry Training Planned

ABC-MI's next “Introduction to Interim Ministry” training will take place on Wednesday, September 23, 2009, at the Region office in East Lansing from 9am-3pm. Coffee and rolls will be available at 8:30 to give us a chance to get acquainted. The training will officially begin at 9am.

The morning and afternoon sessions will focus on understanding the Intentional approach to Interim Ministry, the role of the interim in ABC/MI churches, the qualifications, skills, and responsibilities of an Interim, a brief look at leading by coaching, and understanding a church in transition.

If you would like more information or wish to register for this training, please contact Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman at tgunneman@abc-mi.org, cell phone 586.219.3392.

Leadership Training at Battle Creek

The First Baptist Church of Battle Creek recently hosted a leadership training event. More than 25 leaders and emerging leaders within the congregation were led by pastors Rev. David Laisum and Rev. Ross Lucas as well as ABC-MI consultant Rev. Patricia Hernandez. The group met over the course of two Saturdays, exploring what it means to be a healthy leader and healthy congregation as well as discerning God’s particular mission and vision for First Baptist Church of Battle Creek.

Those who gathered drew upon the book of Acts as well as Paul’s letter to the Ephesians to reflect on what it means to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order to grow as leaders and cultivate a vibrant community that gives witness to God in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, in Battle Creek and beyond. If you are interested in exploring what it means to be a healthy congregation and a healthy leader, resources and support are available through the Region office.

Camp Lael Run/Walk

Have you ever wanted to visit Camp Lael and help its ministry at the same time? On Saturday, September 19th Camp Lael is holding a fundraising Run/Walk to raise money for the "Save Camp Lael" fundraising campaign. The event starts at 10am with a registration, the Run/Walk, and then a picnic lunch afterward.

For more information about the Run/Walk or the fundraising campaign, please check out www.savecamplael.com.

Ministry Leadership Certification Upcoming Classes

Church Governance and Structure – Friday, September 25, 5-9pm
- Location: First Baptist Church, Charlotte
- Taught by Rev. Robin Crouch (FBC Charlotte) and Rev. Ed Owens (Olivet Baptist Church) drawing from their experience in leading their congregations through significant and healthy structural changes
Baptist History and Polity – Saturday, September 26, 9:00am-3pm
- Location: First Baptist Church, Charlotte
- Taught by Rev. Dr. Joe Mortensen, adjunct professor at Ecumenical Theological Seminary, former Area Minister for ABC-MI, former pastor First Baptist Church of Midland.
Preaching – Friday, September 25, 5-9pm, Saturday, September 26, 9-3pm^*
- Location: First Baptist Church, Detroit
- Taught by Rev. Dr. James H. Evans Jr. based on his recent book, Praising God in Tough Times: The Anatomy of Preaching in the African-American Tradition. Dr. Evans is a well known theologian and past president of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (Rochester, NY). In addition to holding a chair in Systematic Theology, Dr. Evans is pastor of St. Tabernacle Community Church of Rochester. NY and Detroit, MI.
  ^*Note: This will be the last class offered at the Detroit location for the year. Classes at the Charlotte location will continue this fall.

Ministry Leadership Certificate class fees: Friday only - $50, Saturday only - $65, Both Friday and Saturday - $100

Audit fees: Friday only - $25, Saturday only - $35, Both Friday and Saturday - $50

For more information or to register, visit the Region website (http://abc-mi.org) or call Sheila Kaminski at the Region office (800 632-2953, ext. 231 )

ABC-MI, ABCOPAD and Eastern University Offer Online Youth Ministry Certificate

Do you want to learn how you can reach youth in an effective manner?
Do you wnat to learn to develop effective youth ministries for your church?
Do you want to learn how to deal with difficult students?
Do you want to learn “why we do what we do” in youth ministries?

A youth ministry cohort is now forming. To become part of this unique experience, register today! For more information and to register go to www.abc-mi.org and click on Youth Ministry Certificate. For any questions, e-mail Pat Hernandez. Don't miss this exciting opportunity!

Webinars for ABC-MI Pastors

Our Region, in cooperation with The Columbia Partnership, offers pastors and interested lay leaders the opportunity to engage in two one-hour web seminars (webinars) on congregational transformation/revitalization. Each webinar included a downloadable PowerPoint live presentation by Bill McConnell, author of Renew Your Church: Healing the Sick, Raising the Dead, and pastor of the Legacy Christian Church in Harrison, OH. Opportunity for a few interactive questions is provided at the end of the presentation.

DATE	WEBINAR	EMPHASIS	DESCRIPTION
Wednesday, September 16 Noon -1:00pm	First Steps in Church Transformation	Congregational Transformational	Beginning is the difficult part of church transformation. Some of the foundational systemic issues that must be addressed before the process of church transformation can begin will be addressed.
Wednesday, October 28 Noon-1:00pm	Pastoral Leadership For Transformation	Leadership Development	Leading a church in transformation is different from pastoring a church. New skills, concepts and approaches must be learned and applied to lead the church into new life. This will be an excellent opportunity to engage in continuing education without leaving the comfort of your office or home. All it requires is internet access and a telephone conference call. Set-up details will be provided once you register with the region office.

Register today by accessing the registration form at http://www.abc-mi.org/pdfs/Webinar%20Registration%20Form.pdf in PDF format or http://www.abc-mi.org/docs/Webinar%20Registration%20Form.docx as a Word document. Fill it out and email it to dreetz@abc-mi.org OR fax it to 517.332.3186 OR mail it to American Baptist Churches of Michigan to the address on the registration form. Registration deadline for the first webinar is Monday, September 14. For more information contact Debbie Reetz in the Region office (dreetz@abc-mi.org) or Ron Cary (rcary@abc-mi.org).

Bring Organ Donation Awareness to Faith Communities

Donate Life Coalition of Michigan is pleased to announce our upcoming, health ministry, continuing education session entitled “Bringing Organ Donation Awareness To Our Faith Communities: Addressing Interfaith End-of-Life Decisions” on Friday, September 18th from 9:00am-2:30pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Lansing.

Donate Life Coalition of Michigan is a non-profit group composed of organizations, hospitals, agencies and individuals dedicated to increasing awareness about organ, eye, tissue, blood and bone marrow donation in Michigan. This event is made possible through the support of coalition members including Gift of Life Foundation, Gift of Life Michigan, Michigan Eye-Bank, Gift of Life MOTTEP and Sparrow Health System.

This session is for health ministry personnel (social workers, parish nurses, nurses, chaplains, pastoral care providers, faith leaders and medical staff). This day of education and awareness offers attendees:

An understanding of the need for organ donation
A view of palliative care/end of life issues
A spiritual perspective of organ donation
Personal recipient/donor family impact stories
An explanation of the organ donation process
Clarifications of the common myths and misconceptions
An interactive session to explain how to bring the message to our faith communities

The Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative has approved 4.0 CE Hours for this session. The Ohio Nurses Association has approved 4.5 contact hours as well. There is a $10 fee to attend this session. On-site parking is available at no charge. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Register by September 14. Click here for flyer. If you have any questions, please contact Brittany Bogan at bbogan@mha.org.

Short Notices

"Second Chair", an ABC Ministers Council "Together in Ministry" group met for the first time in April, facilitated by the Rev. Alex Pickens III, pastor of University Baptist Church, East Lansing. A recent newsletter describes the group as "a diverse group of peers in ministry: new pastorates, interim pastorates, assistant pastors, associate ministers, supporting spouses, ...bi-vocational, or employed in ministry occupations, ...African and Euro American; ...young adult and middle aged, ...laypersons, and/or licensed to preach, and some of us are ordained clergy. We are Presbyterian and Baptist: American, Progressive and National! We live in Ann Arbor, Okemos, Detroit, and Eastpointe, MI. We are single and married. We are empty-nesters, parenting young children, and looking forward to the birth of our first child! We are mosaic. We are the body of Christ." The purpose of the Second Chair Group is to strengthen ministers by bringing them into a shared space of encouragement. The Second Chair in church life is filled by an Assistant or Associate Minister, in various titles. The challenges, frustrations, and triumphs associated with the Second Chair are unique." A copy of the newsletter is available here or by clicking on picture above.
First Baptist Church of Birmingham resumes its B'Jazz Vespers series this month for the 14th season. "Some Sweet Jazz and an Interlude of Worship" is scheduled for Sunday, September 20, 6 to 8 PM and features "The Mood Swings of Jazz Singer Steve Blackwood and The Cliff Monear Trio." First Baptist Church is at the corner of Willits and Bates Streets, one block north of Maple and one block west of Old Woodward Avenue. Free parking is available in the adjacent lot. B'Jazz Vespers features 100 minutes of secular jazz performance and 20 minutes for a non-sectarian worship led by Dr. J. Wesley Babian, pastor of First Baptist Church. An offering is taken for the musicians.
The next Sabbath Time Retreat at SPE Resource Center at St. Francis Retreat Center is September 23-25, 2009. This will be our regular facilitated retreat. In addition, we are offering Individually Directed Retreats. For more detail click on either link to see the flyers. Make room in your calendar for your Sabbath Time . . . -- Terry Feuka, Program Manager
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 Monday, September 22, 2009. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by September 18.

Editor's Trips

Every edition of E-Link Online features links to articles the Editor has tripped over while wasting time surfing the Web. Posting of these links does not necessarily mean that either he or the American Baptist Churches of Michigan agrees with, endorses, or otherwise promotes the views expressed in them. Their value, if any, consists of whatever further thought, discussion, inquiry, discernment, fury, or occasional laugh they may provoke. Readers are welcome to send their own suggestions to the Editor.

The Case for Early Marriage -- http://bit.ly/14ZwHk

Long time ABC-USA General Secretary Ed Tuller Dies -- http://bit.ly/RkLwG

Harvard Divinity Prof Harvey Cox Grazes Cow in Harvard Yard -- http://bit.ly/2NqMk

There is No Virtual Church, part 1 -- http://bit.ly/XRZo9

There is No Virtual Church, part 2 -- http://bit.ly/tdOZ7

The Impact of Religious Liberty on National Security -- http://bit.ly/4nyZB9

Protect Your Preacher from the Swine Flu -- http://bit.ly/l7pEC

The Evangelistic Value of Liturgy -- http://bit.ly/kcSHB (h/t RFN)

Health Care and Family Values -- http://bit.ly/KbUO0

Dutch Expect Apocalypse in 2012 -- http://bit.ly/4jyZ1