The Chimes
Newsletter of First Baptist Church of Alliance
Online Edition May 2008
A Message from the Pastor
The
month of May is here in all its blaze of color and warmer
temperatures. I remember my excitement in celebrating MAY
DAY in Hawaii with all the women making orchid leis and the beautiful
May Day Parade. It was a memorable day! The month of May
has some exciting Celebrations in our church. We begin May with an
All Daughters Banquet, Recognition of our Volunteers, Mother's
Day, Youth Sunday, Pre-School Spring Program, Memorial Day
Observance and Pentecost! What a
full month of celebration!
Pentecost
Celebration falls on Mother's Day -- and both will be celebrated but
the BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH with the presence of the Holy Spirit is an
event we must observe. In our Wednesday Bible Studies we are studying
the Gospel of John and Jesus tells His disciples in the 14th
chapter: "If you love me, you will keep my
commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give
you another Advocate, to be with you FOREVER. This
is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because
HE ABIDES WITH YOU and he will be IN YOU."
The
Holy Spirit abides in us as we continue to build the Kingdom of
God -- that's reason to CELEBRATE! First Baptist Church's
birthday celebration began on July 13, 1839 when Mathias Hester,
Elias Ellett and Israel Bolton acknowledged the Holy Spirit's leading
to form a Baptist Church in the town of Freedom (which is
presently Alliance). Originally our church
was called, "The
Regular Baptist Church in the Town of Freedom"!
169
years later -- the Lord still finds dedicated Christians who are led
by the Holy Spirit to make a difference for Jesus in our community.
WE CELEBRATE YOU in your dedication to your Lord and First Baptist!
These
are exciting days at First Baptist and I hope that as you read the
many ministries we are embracing here at the Lord's Church in our
CHIMES NEWSLETTER
you will continue to be found faithful.
May
you have a blessed MAY!
Pastor Gordon
Rise
Up and Build Update
Your Rise Up & Build Team has indeed been busy. Taking on the details of our new Mission and Vision statements has been a recent focus for the team. We gathered together on Saturday, March 29th, for a very spirit filled morning! Using all of the notes and details of previous Mission/Vision meetings, the RU&B team worked to find what our community of faith saw as God’s intent for us in the next few years. The result of our Saturday morning gathering was presented to Council on Tuesday, April 22, for comments and approval. The next step will be to gather together as a community of faith and let God’s perceived will be unfolded to us all. May you find excitement in our mission for the next few years, and may God speak to you to aid you in how YOU fit in!
Your RU&B team has also been assessing our WELnes systems. That is, our WELcoming system, our nurturing system, our empowering system, and our serving system within our community of faith. That’s right. Each community of faith has these systems in play. How are we at welcoming each other or our guests on Sunday mornings, or during the week? Do we really nurture each other in our faith? Do you feel empowered in your faith and tasks within the body of Christ? Do we serve as Jesus would have served? These are the questions we are evaluating. Some participated in our Wednesday evening Family nights and had exposure to these systems and had the chance to express your opinions. Your Rise Up & Build team will follow up and have results for you. Keep reading the CHIMES for all of the news you can use!
The RU&B team once again is sponsoring a Cluster Meeting with ABC-Ohio on Saturday, May 3, 2008, at 11:30 AM. A picnic will be enjoyed as Bob Cassady leads us through our Mission/Vision evaluations and tackling the numbers of our WELnes Surveys. Everyone is invited to join in!
It is important to note that the RU&B team is concerned for you. We are working on and discussing ways to serve you and comfort your needs and hurts. Please pray for your RU&B team as they work toward fulfilling this great need.
And as always, please feel free to contact any member of your RU&B team with your questions, concerns, or comments.
Reverend John E. Mikan Scholarship Program
Applications for the REVEREND JOHN E. MIKAN Scholarship are now available in both the church office or through the Scholarship committee (see Marty Daniels). Any student who is a member of the church and is enrolling or is currently enrolled in a post-secondary educational program (vocational or collegiate) may apply. Students from previous years may re-apply. Applications must be completed and returned by May 15th to the church office. This year multiple scholarships may be awarded, with a total of $1500 to be distributed. Recipients will be announced on June 8, 2008, which is Graduation Recognition Sunday.
Women’s News
Friday, May 2 Church Women United
Noon YWCA - Friendship Luncheon
Program: “God’s Wisdom Inspires Hospitality”
Saturday, May 3 All Daughter’s Luncheon
Noon FBC Fellowship Hall
Program by Sue DeHoff
*Please bring a generously sized salad to share. A $2.00 per person offering will be gratefully accepted.
Monday, May 12 Circle of Concern
1:30 pm FBC
Bible Book of the Month - Lamentations
Food Pantry Item - Cereal
Youth Group News
Wow! Our youth have been really busy! Take a minute to view the BYF bulletin board outside Pastor Gordon’s office…you’ll notice that these youth never rest! We have many exciting and wonderful things planned for the next couple of months. Make sure that you come on over to FBC to participate in these wonderful people’s lives. They are growing in their faith, fellowshipping, and spreading joy all throughout the church…can you feel it? We have a lot going on in the next coming month. Below you will find all the information that you should need. The Holy Spirit is alive and vibrant in our youth! Take a minute and get to know one of these fine ladies or gentlemen that you may not know as well.
To all BYF parents: The youth have received their monthly calendars with dates and activities, they were placed in mailboxes last week. If you did not get one, please see me immediately!
Car Wash: It’s a soapy job...but we’re willing to do it!
On Saturday, May 10th, the BYF will be soaping it up…washing cars! It’s time for our annual Car Wash event at the church. The ‘soapiness’ begins at 9am and will ‘bubble-up’ at 12 noon. The car wash is free; however, we take a goodwill offering in order to support our Easter Egg Hunt 2009. Please be sure to come out and support your BYF.
All youth are needed to report to FBC at 8am. We will have a quick donut and juice breakfast, make signs, and then get our car washing instructions. Invite your friends to get ‘soapie’ with you…it’s lots of fun!
Youth Sunday
The Youth group has been working very hard for many weeks to bring an exciting event: YOUTH SUNDAY, on May 18th! The youth have a very special message for all of us about discipleship. It’s a vibrant and poignant message to all those who will hear it. All the youth have taken time, thought, and a lot of planning to come up with a wonderful service for you. We know that all of you are excited and anxiously await the service to see all of the youth’s hard work. A big thank you needs to be given to Jody & Marty who generously gave of their time and energy to help the youth prepare this fantastic event. JOIN US MAY 18th – you won’t want to miss this!
ALIVE 2008
It’s time…come ALIVE in 2008! Our youth have worked hard and because of your generous support of our donut fund, we are going to Canal Fulton Ohio to Clay’s Park & Resort to experience a day of music, worship, fellowship, and witnessing. All BYF youth are invited to attend. Our single day event has yet to be determined. Mark your calendars now…we will go only one day…a day of BYF choosing. Available dates to go are June 18-21. The BYF will be voting on which day they would like to go in the next couple of weeks. Make sure you vote, as majority rules.
BYF parents will be getting special instructions, permission slips, medical forms, and other such necessary paperwork in approximately 2 weeks. If you for any reason did not receive a packet, or need extra packets, please see Pastor Katie or go to the church office.
Donut Sales
May & June are our last months to bring you yummy, delicious, calorie ridden Sunday morning goodness until September. Let’s be honest, what goes better with donuts than a nice cup of coffee that has been perked with love by the ladies of our church? We have so much appreciated your generous giving to help each of the youth achieve their goals and to give them opportunities to grow in their faith. Thank you to each of you who diligently support our BYF!
As always, we are still in need of Dunkin’ Donuts coupons. We know how much you enjoy those delicious cream filled donuts, sprinkled donuts, and chocolaty happiness after worship on Sunday…If you have any spare coupons, they would be appreciated! Please put them in Pastor Katie’s mailbox.
(And just in case you were wondering, ‘What will I do for a treat during coffee and fellowship time this summer?’ The ABW will be selling donuts as part of their summer project!)
Many Blessings,
Pastor Katie
BYF, DON’T FORGET – BRING YOUR FRIENDS!
Add these BYF dates to your calendars:
May
4th - Youth Sunday Rehearsal 12 noon - 1:30 pm
10th - CAR WASH Arrive 8 am - 12 noon
*Breakfast provided*
17th – DRESS REHEARSAL @ FBC 6 pm – 8:30 pm
*Eat dinner before arrival – Ice cream party provided after practice*
18th - YOUTH SUNDAY during worship service
18th – Celebration/Party Time 12 noon -1:30 pm
JUNE
2nd – BYF @ FBC 12 noon - 1:30 pm
18th to the 21st – BYF to ALIVE Festival
*One day only – yet to be determined*
***Dates & times are subject to change***
Missions
Awareness
Mission trip to Alliance:
As you are reading this article, we should be well on the way to finalizing our plans for our mission trip. Bill Robinson Jr. has been busy in his office getting us jobs. The mission board is busy dividing up jobs for fundraising and all the other little details. If you haven’t talked to anyone about helping, see one of the members of the board soon. We have jobs for everyone - even if you aren’t handy with a hammer. This article will come out after our luncheon, but I hope you will be getting as excited about this endeavor as the board.
American for Christ:
Our goal for AFC was $900, and so far we have received $738.43 towards our goal. If you have not yet given to this offering, we will still accept your contribution. This offering benefits the mission fields in the USA and Puerto Rico.
Banner Over Us:
Sometimes things that are mission projects for one area also fall under missions in another. This is the case of Banner Over Us. This project for last year was an American Baptist Women’s project but the board of missions also contributed to the project. The project was presented to ABW Ministries by Dr. Bill Clemmer, an American Baptist Missionary to the Congo. He asked for the women in the state to raise money for him to build a shelter at the American Baptist hospital in Vanga. He asked for $24,000 and the women of Ohio raised over $33,000. It is always nice to see the results of your donations. Dr. Clemmer sent me pictures of the new shelter. The hospital in Vanga is the largest of the American Baptist hospitals in the Congo. They have 420 beds and see about 600 patients a day. The necessity for the shelter resulted from the patients having to travel for days and then sit outside in the sun, rain, and wind. The shelter holds 80 to 100 patients, more if the weather is very bad. This hospital is also a training hospital for doctors and nurses. Dr. Clemmer reported that construction of the shelter has been completed. He also reported that he had money left over and received another donation to money left over and that he had received an additional donation to add to what remained, so they also repaired the foundation of one of their other hospital buildings, which was in danger of sliding off of its foundation into the river. They put in drainage tiles, fixed doors, repaired windows and walls.
Dr. Clemmer writes, “I love the way God provides. I thank God for your generosity and faithfulness and pray that this gift continues to bless for years to come and stand as a symbol for how God’s people truly care for each other and for the kingdom of God.
Praise The Lord for American Baptist Women and their love of missions”.
A young child rests in the shelter with his mother while awaiting medical treatment.
Lace up the cleats and oil up the old ball glove,
It’s FBC Softball Season!
Players should check their FBC mailboxes for schedules. Questions? Contact DJ Csaki
Mark your calendars for the annual BYF Car Wash
Saturday, May 10th 9:00 am – noon
Proceeds to benefit next year’s Easter Egg Hunt fund.
A bright, clean, shiny car will make any Mom smile!
A Message from Neighborhood Ministries
This
year we are celebrating 95 years of ministry and we will be
celebrating this milestone as a part of our annual banquet. As a
partner with us through the Trumbull Baptist Association, we would
appreciate your attendance at this banquet on Monday, May
19th, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Fairview Arts & Outreach
Center. The cost for the banquet is $17.00, a portion of
which goes towards paying for a volunteer who could not otherwise
attend. Make your RSVP by calling 330-755-8698 or the
church office.
This will be a celebration of song and testimony!
Worship Board News
The month of May is full of activities and celebrations! We’ll recognize, honor and thank our many church volunteers with a cookie reception following Worship on May 4th.
Join us May 11th as we celebrate both Mother’s Day and Pentecost – the birthday of the church. The sanctuary will be ablaze with red in celebration and remembrance of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon us. A birthday party in the Fellowship Hall will follow the Worship service.
The Worship Board will again be sponsoring the sale of our Memorial Day Planters. You’ll find order forms in the church bulletin on May 4, 11 and 18. The last day for orders will be May 18th. The cost remains the same as last year at $7.00 per planter. Planters may be taken home after the Worship service on May 25th. Orders may also be placed through the church office. Our thanks are extended to those who support our various floral endeavors which beautify our sanctuary and add so much to our Worship services.
At the April meeting, we discussed the Mission and Vision Statements that were recommended by the Rise Up & Build team. These came from the various meetings that were held since last November through January and April. These meetings were fairly well attended by many of the congregation and gave much information to consider. Each of the Board Chairs will be sharing that information with their board for more input and suggestions so that we may come together at our May meeting to refine and agree on the wording to then bring to the congregation for consideration and approval. If you are on a board, please be sure to attend your May meeting.
At the meetings in November 2007 and earlier this year, the group present developed a list of Core Values for First Baptist Church. At another meeting it was determined that we needed to establish a common understanding and agreement of what our Core Values meant to us and so that anyone attending First Baptist Church would know what we value and how we demonstrate our values. After much discussion and sharing at the last Rise Up & Build meeting on Saturday, April 5, the following definitions and order of importance were agreed to:
Gospel-Driven ~ We will be Bible based and Gospel-driven in all we do.
Love ~ We will love as Christ loves us.
Spiritual Growth ~ We will grow closer to God through participation in personal and group Bible study and prayer, small group activities and outreach mentors so each may love God with all his heart.
Honesty ~ We will acknowledge our situation, humble ourselves, communicate and resolve issues.
Compassion ~ We will show empathy by reaching out and serving in a non-judgmental way.
Forgiveness ~ We will strive to restore relationships with others and Christ and be at peace with ourselves and others.
Family ~ We will show unity, acceptance, and support for each other.
Please spend some time in thoughtful earnest prayer asking our Lord how he will guide you to incorporate these values into your life and demonstrate them in your daily walk. It may be that you need to commit more deliberate time to personal Bible study to enhance your Spiritual Growth. You may need to seek His guidance to be honest in your need to forgive someone to restore a relationship and demonstrate compassion in a Christ-like manner.
We need to be about God’s business as individuals and as a church. We are already successfully reaching out into our community to help and as we seek to do more, we must be strong and sure in our relationship with God and our church family. If we are not, we will find ourselves challenged and fractured by forces that will seek to distract us from His plan.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:7
Serving Him,
David Daniels,
Moderator
Clean-Up Day Roundup
It was a fantastic group that helped clean up the church grounds on Sat. April 26 – our best turnout ever! We enjoyed great fellowship and wonderful goodies.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you! We made great progress on the grounds, and many of us were fully aware of it by all the aches and pains that followed. Remember, “Pain makes gains”; there sure is evidence of the gains – Just look around!
A special thanks to Kent, our “official monkey tree climber”. He made us quite nervous due to past history, but the job got done!
Thanks again to all!
Ed Malkamaki
Exterior grounds chairman, Board of Trustees
Graduation & Children’s Sunday- June 8
Calling all graduates and their families – We will be celebrating your recent accomplishment on Sunday, June 8, during the worship service. If you have not already submitted pictures of yourself or your honoree to Marty Daniels, please do so as soon as possible. We would like to have an assortment of pictures, from infancy through childhood and including the present time for use in a PowerPoint presentation. All pictures will be returned to you. Please include a list of any accomplishments, awards or other accolades received, as well as future plans.
Children’s Sunday will also be observed on June 8. The Junior Choir will be performing during the service. A reception will follow the worship service. Sunday school classes will not meet.
Evangelism News
Thanks to everyone who helped make the Women’s Wellness Day a SUCCESS! Special thanks to Audrey for inviting Eve, she was AWESOME!
Get off your BUMPERS… the Car Show is Coming!!!
Saturday June 14th!
Thanks to all the boards for coming through with some GREAT Silent Auction Baskets: Missions – Golf Gadgets, Trustees- Car Care Kit, Worship- Disney Delights, Christian Ed- Fairmount Flowers, Diaconate- Spiritual Books Basket, Evangelism – HOF Football Follies, Judy & Marianne - Kitchen Connection.
We are also asking again, that each board put some of their past and present projects out for our guests to see what we are all about! Diaconate is working on a PowerPoint video too… great idea! Mission board will be having a soda and bake sale to raise money for their “trip” this year. We will be providing free hotdogs, chips and pink lemonade also. Ken will be our DJ with an Oldies/ Contemporary Christian music mix. Bob P. will update our sign, and advertise for us in the Cruisin’ Times magazine again, while Sam D. has offered to buy the dash plaques for our first 50 entries, thanks guys!
Any help with Door Prizes would be appreciated! We are looking for gift cards or gifts from local businesses, or any new items you may want to pass along. Thank you in advance for coming together to let the community know FBC is here, and hopefully feel the love of Christ in each one of us! Please take time to invite your friends.
Proceeds will be going to the Alliance for Children and Family Services (which includes the Emergency Shelter). They say thank you for all the sheets and towels, dresser, beds, books, pictures etc… keep them coming!
In Christian Love,
Barb
Happy
Birthday to....
1 – Heidi Ware, Jaime Phillips, Charlotte Loar
2 – Isabel Kennedy, Barbi Myers, Kathy Yeagley
5 – Molly Kingsley, Melissa Krenzer, Tom Papley
6 – Amy Radak, Sue Malkamaki, Jayme Smith
7 – Simon Keirn, Barb Mikan, Rich Dillon, Erica Csaki
8 – Rick Hall, Dru Lillian Daniels
9 – Nate Wise
10 – Courtney Moore, Bobbie Bonar, Martha Courtney
11 – Neil Tournoux
13 – Mike Wise, Michael Snider, Dion Tournoux
14 – Pat Walborn, Debbie Suggett
16 – Rev. Gordon Thomas, Paige Robinson
17 – Jessica Daniels, Tyler Ware, Todd Blatt
19 – Courtney McKinney
20 – David Schopp
21 – Daniel Amsden-Michel
22 – Rachel Mason, Mike Bungard, Drue Hagan
23 – Myrel Allison
24 – Beau Schillig
25 – Loretta Inman
26 – Joan Sheen
28 – Lydia Mikan, Deana Robinson, Mary Alice Gwynne,
Bob Pasco
29 – Austin James Stuckey
FYI – This year Pastor Gordon is celebrating the Big 6-0!
Wouldn’t it be nice if he received 60+ cards?