Short Notices

Editor's Trips

Issue 2009.25, November 30, 2009

Advent Candles

Advent 2009

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

Jeremiah 33:16
Jeremiah 33:14-16

Urgent Prayer Request for Philippine Situation

Benjamin Chan, ABCUSA Board of International Ministries (BIM) Area Director of East Asia and India, has issued an urgent prayer request in the wake of violence in connection with an election in the Philippines. For the full story see http://www.internationalministries.org/artifacts/15776.

American Baptist Youth Meet at Houghton Lake

by Jim Davis (photos courtesy of Scott Arnold)

Youth Convention Youth Convention Speaker Youth Convention Band Youth Convention Youth Convention

125 youth and adult leaders gathered November 6-8 at the Comfort Suites-Lakeside at Houghton Lake for the 120th annual Senior High Convention. Aaron Robinson (pictured at left, click on image for larger picture), an urban youth minister from the Detroit area, was the speaker. The praise and worship band was a youth-led group from the Union Church of Quincy, led by Youth Cabinet member John Arnold.

Other youth cabinet members involved in planning the 2009 event were Ashley Poszywak, Abbie Thiebaut, both from First Baptist Church of Stockbridge, Brenda Barrons, Cody Brown, Jesse Stokes, all from First Baptist Church of Sturgis, and Rachel Sherman and Austin Moore, both from Union Church. Click on thumbnail images at right to view larger photos.

Among the highlights of the Convention was “The View’, a panel discussion led by youth leaders from our churches. Students were encouraged to write down questions they wished to ask anonymously. This event was a new addition to the convention and was well received. We also held a Saturday night Talent Show and enjoyed a chocolate fondue snack. The Hotel provided all the meals, and participants enjoyed the pool with a waterslide. Some even took a quick dip in Houghton Lake because the weather was actually very nice.

A big thank you goes out to the Youth Cabinet planners for all their hard work on putting the convention together. We also want to thank Aaron Robinson, the guys from Quincy who put the sound and the band together, and the Comfort Suites hotel. Also, thanks to the youth pastors who led the panel discussion and all the youth leaders who gave their weekend for the event.

Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO)

RMMO2009

“Thank you” check recipients and others who received financial assistance from the 2008 Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) were overwhelmed by the generosity of American Baptist Congregations in the midst of the most severe recession since the Great Depression. Contributions to the RMMO in 2008 totaled $1,383,537.00. Of that amount, 57% was distributed as “Thank you” checks to 3,238 retired American Baptist ministers, missionaries and their widowed spouses. The average check was $258.69. Thirty-eight percent was made available to people with emergency and other heavy financial needs and 5% was used for administrative expenses.

We are proud to name our ABC-MI churches that were listed on the Honor Roll of Churches for their 2008 donation:

Also listed on the Per Capita Honor Roll of Churches is:

May God bless ALL our churches who gave to show their appreciation in this way.

Please let us join together again this year as we Remember with Love and Give with Gratitude to those who have dedicated their lives to Christian ministry. Please give sacrificially in the month of December with your generous contribution to this special RMMO in 2009.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Debbie Hart, Mission Assistant/Receptionist at the ABC-MI Region Office at 800.632.2953 ext. 221 or dhart@abc-mi.org. Thank you and God bless you as we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

[Editor's Note: Every November for the past 17 years a generous Thank You Check has appeared in my mailbox. Along with my brother and sister American Baptist retirees I am profoundly grateful to the many churches, including the ones I've been honored to serve, who give to the RMMO.]

Networking—Churches Helping Churches

Is your congregation seeking new avenues of community involvement and impact? Perhaps considering an after-school program, or a clothing closet, or opening a child care center, or some other kind of outreach to your community? Do you wonder how to get started or where to turn?

The American Baptist Churches of Michigan (ABC-MI) conducted a Future Search process in 2008 that brought together a wide group of ABC-MI constituents for the purpose of identifying key areas of ministry to be focused upon by the ABC-MI over the next 3-5 years. Out of the experience, eight key ministry areas were identified. One area is “Community Impact and Involvement.” We determined “as the heart, hands and feet of Christ beyond the walls of the church building, we will touch the lives of those in need, engaging in relationships that impact our community in real and relevant ways.” The task force, working on this key ministry area, decided to survey our ABC-MI churches to discover the breadth of community ministries engaged in by our churches. Then it was decided to develop a database, which churches could reference when considering a new community ministry.

Why re-invent the wheel when a congregation can resource another congregation already doing a community ministry a church is contemplating embarking upon? We invite you to check out the database where you will find more than thirty-five community ministry efforts listed along with the ABC-MI congregations doing those ministries. You can access the database at: http://bit.ly/6pLYzO.

Flint Cluster Men's Morning Fellowship

The Men’s Morning Fellowship of the Flint River Cluster of American Baptist Churches is a group of 25 to 30 laymen who meet monthly for breakfast and fellowship. They come from 7 or 8 churches and have been meeting for a number of years, not only to enjoy the food and fellowship but also to worship the Lord and often to engage in a mission project. Their most recent project was putting together ready-to-eat boxes of food that will be sent to Friendship House. Laymen from Flint area churches are welcome and encouraged to attend the meetings, which begin at 10:00 and are held in area churches on a rotating basis. The next meeting is scheduled for January 21 at Hill Road Baptist Church.

Short Notices

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 Editor