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

Voices

When I was a young Christian I went through a period of doubt. I just wasn't sure I believed anything anymore. I shared this with a good friend and mentor and he said to me, "I just want to assure you, Brian, I'll be your friend even if you become an atheist." That helped me believe in God more, because I felt the unconditional love of God through him. If he'd threatened me or put a lot of pressure on me, that would have made it harder to believe in God. To me there is something about unconditional friendship that demonstrates the grace of God. -- Brian McLaren, "Out of Ur," 3/8/2007

If you think Sunni and Shia are the same because they're both Muslim, and you've been told Islam is about peace, you won't understand what's happening in Iraq. If you get into an argument about gay rights or capital punishment and someone claims to quote the Bible or the Quran, do you know it's so? If you want to be involved, you need to know what they're saying. We're doomed if we don't understand what motivates the beliefs and behaviors of the rest of the world. We can't outsource this to demagogues, pundits and preachers with a political agenda. -- Stephen Prothero, author of Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, quoted in USA Today, 3/7/2007

According to Religious Literacy, polls show that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the Bible holds the answers to "all or most of life's basic questions," but pollster George Gallup has dubbed us "a nation of biblical illiterates." Only half of U.S. adults know the title of even one Gospel. Most can't name the Bible's first book. The trend extends even to Evangelicals, only 44% of whose teens could identify a particular quote as coming from the Sermon on the Mount. -- "The Case for Teaching The Bible," Time, 3/22/2007

If Americans are ignorant of the facts behind religion, a goodly share of the blame belongs to mainstream churches and their ministers. Despite the fact that Americans are attaining higher levels of education, churches remain places to believe, not places to think. Ministers rarely challenge congregants to ask questions, do research, think deeply or explore other faiths with anything like an open mind. Rigorous thought is suspect. Intellectuals, especially intellectual women, are not particularly welcome. In my experience, ministers just want congregations to believe, obey and donate -- generously. -- letter to editor from Doroth LaBounty, St. Louis, MO in Newsweek, 3/26/2007

Arrivals, Departures, Celebrations, Concerns

§ Joyce Crandall, 23 year old daughter of the Rev. Fred Crandall, was killed in an automobile accident on March 19, 2007. Services were held March 23. Fred is the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Belding and Clarklake Community Church. Cards may be sent to Fred at 5180 Whites Road., Cement City, MI 49233. According to Michigan State Police, the tragedy occurred on I-69 in southern Michigan when Ms. Crandall collided with a tractor-trailer. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was not injured. The ABC-MI family expresses profound sorrow and sympathy to the Crandall family.

Olivet Baptist Church Dedicates New Worship Center

Members of Olivet's Building Expansion Committee and Pastor's Council cut the ribbon for the new Worship Center. Left to right: Scott Cook, Deanna Cook, Rev. Dave Sincox, Susan Rieske, Pastor Ed Owens, Gary Cunningham, Sherry Owens, Arlona Kolb, and Bob Kelsey.

Left to right: Chris Martin, Laux Construction; Scott Cook, chair of Building Expansion Committee, and Jerry Bernath, of contractor Bernath-Coaxley.

Olivet Baptist Church of Lansing, dedicated its new Worship Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration service on Sunday, March 18. An open house with refreshments followed the brief service.

The dedication marks the second time the church has expanded its building since its original construction in 1991. In 1998, the South Wing consisting of additional Sunday School classrooms was built.

The new Worship Center almost doubles the area of the original sanctuary and includes a baptistry, cry room and multi-media projection system. In addition, bathrooms were expanded and more storage space was created for the growing congregation.

Ground-breaking for the new facilities took place on September 12, 2006, and the first service was held on March 11, 2007.

Olivet is located at 5455 Willoughby Road in Lansing. The Rev. Ed Owens is pastor at Olivet. Sunday school classes meet at 9:30 a.m. Worship is at 10:45 a.m.

Training Day for Interim Pastors

Training for interim pastors will take place on Tuesday, April 17, 2007, at the Region office from 9:00am to 3:30pm. The Rev. Tucker Gunneman will lead the session. If you are interested in attending or have any questions, please contact Rev. Tucker Gunneman at 586.219.3392 or tgunneman@abc-mi.org.

Ministry Leadership Groups: How are you?

Left to right: Jane Moschenrose, Wes Babian, Peter Conlin, Kevin Turman, Bill Walker, and Jon Good.

When the Rev. Dr. Kevin Turman asks, "How are you?", he is not looking for a polite "fine, thank-you, how are you?" No, the pastor of Second Baptist Church in Detroit, Vice-President of the Region Board, and Peer Leader of one of the Region's eleven Ministry Leadership Groups, is seeking a genuine response to genuine concern. When members in his Ministry Leadership Group are asked the same question, they're being invited to go deeper, to reflect critically, to be transparent in order to be transformed.

In his book Primal Leadership leadership guru Daniel Goleman cites such intentional exploration as part of a new model of learning, "deep learning," a process that is more effective, longer-lasting, and develops better leaders. Such learning is self-directed and takes place within the context of a trusted group of colleagues.

Writes Goleman, "Being in a resonant group -- say one with other leaders like yourself who are venturing together to cultivate new leadership styles -- offers one of the best arenas for change...Cultivating special relationships, those whose sole purpose is to help you along your path, is crucial to continuing (leadership) development."

If you would like to be part of such a group and take your leadership to another level, contact Pat Hernandez (phernandez@abc-mi.org).

Short Notices

For a Christian response to the claims of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," see the article by Dr. Wesley H. Brown at http://www.abc-usa.org/documents/tomb.pdf.

First Baptist Church of Midland has a Konica 7145 copier for sale. It is equipped with finisher, 4 drawer base, and power filter. It will staple, collate, scan and can be integrated into a network. Price $4,500. The copier has been well maintained and is in excellent working condition. For information contact Arlie McMahan -- 989.631.1847.

"An Evening with Alvin Waddles and Friends" is a musical journey through jazz, gospel, classical, and Broadway favorites on Friday, April 20, 8 p.m. at Highland Park Baptist Church, 26800 Lahser Rd. Tickets -- $25 for general seating, $50 for preferred seating -- are available at Hope United Methodist Church, Southfield, Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Detroit, God's World Records, 13533 Seven Mile, or Gloria Saulsberry (gloriablondelle@sbcglobal.net). For information call 313.362.9232.

The Engaging Church is a fast-paced one day seminar presented by Church Growth, Inc., offering the latest practical tools for effective outreach and church growth. Learn how to:

Attract outsiders
Connect with visitors
Integrate new members

April 26 in Birmingham, Michigan and April 27 in Grand Rapids. Cost is $98.00 for one person, $68.00 for each additional attendee. You can request a special denominational discount rate of $50.00 per person. For more information and registration go to: www.churchgrowth.net/seminars/engagingchurch/index.htm

Making New Connections is the Central Section Black Church Education Conference, scheduled for April 19-21, 2007, in Columbus, OH. It is sponsored by a number of American Baptist regions and by National Ministries, ABC-USA. Information and online registration available at www.makingnewconnections2007.org. Conference brochures available from the Region office. Call Debbie Reetz at 1-800-632-2953 ext.224. A scholarship in the amount of $100.00 is available on a first-come, first-served basis until funds run out. To request a scholarship call Debbie Reetz at the number above. For more information see http://abc-mi.org/?q=node/97.

Alan Maki, the new pastor at First Baptist Church of Tecumseh, Michigan, has written two contemporary novels for Broadman & Holman Publishers in Nashville, A Choice To Cherish and Written On Her Heart. Destiny Worldwide Entertainment has purchased the film rights to A Choice To Cherish and has begun pre-production of the movie, to be filmed in South Carolina. Director William Byron Hillman has fourteen previous movies to his credit. A Choice To Cherish is a tearjerker, dealing with family reconciliation and important, life-changing and eternal issues.

The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has launched its 2nd annual Religious Liberty Essay Contest. Open to all Baptist high school students in the classes of 2007 and 2008, the contest offers a grand prize of $1,000 and airfare and lodging for two to Washington, D.C. Second prize is $500, and third prize is $100. Winners will be announced in the summer of 2007 and will be featured in the BJC's flagship publication, Report from the Capital. The grand prize winner will also be recognized at the BJC board meeting in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 2. Complete details are at http://tinyurl.com/2r4r8k.

Read the latest issue of International Ministries Prayer Call: http://abc-mi.org/elink/prayer-call.pdf.

Read the latest Friendship House newsletter: http://abc-mi.org/elink/fh.pdf

The next issue of E-Link Online will be published on April 9. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by April 5.

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. Caveat lector.

The Editor

§  Tortured Theology -- http://tinyurl.com/yswqlo
§  Messy Desk = More Productive -- http://tinyurl.com/3xbh5x
§  New IRS Rules = Credit Cards at Church -- http://tinyurl.com/ypzogg
§  Matching Funds for Increased Mission Giving -- http://tinyurl.com/2kxgm8
§  Holding Christian Ministries Accountable -- http://ministrywatch.org
§  A Spiritual Diet of Twinkies -- http://tinyurl.com/34rerp

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