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

First Baptist, Saginaw, Provides $30K for South Africa Medical Work

FBC Saginaw Preents $30,000 Gift to Gutierrez

Members of First Baptist Saginaw Present $30,000 Check to Rick and Anita Gutierrez

by Ron Cary

It all started at the American Baptist Women's conference in Alma last June. A member of First Baptist, Saginaw, met Anita Gutierrez and heard about specific needs for Rick and Anita's ministry in South Africa on behalf of American Baptists. A personal conversation with Anita revealed the need for an ultrasound machine which costs about $30,000, a God-size request for most churches.

Anita did not know at the time (but God knew) that a member of First Baptist, Olive Schneider, had left the church some money in her will to be used for international missions. To make a long story short, the First Baptist member returned home from the conference and presented the request to the church mission team. The team recommended that $30,000 be given to the Gutierrez' for the purchase of an ultrasound machine. And the church enthusiastically agreed.

When Rick and Anita ordered the machine, telling the company how and where and by whom it would be used, the company donated additional medical equipment that totaled $84,000 in addition to the cost of the ultrasound machine!

And that's not all. Two years ago First Baptist had purchased a similar machine to send to the "Friends of Burma" under the advice of the Rev. David Horton, a former pastor of the church and former Region staff member. At the same time the church mission team decided to send their gift to the Gutierrez' mission, they received a request through Horton requesting $7,000 to purchase a new operating room light needed for effective surgery at the mission in Burma. This, too, the church is able to honor. And all because a faithful member, now gone home to the Lord, decided to let her commitment to missions live beyond her individual life.

It's amazing what a church can do when God does the leading!

One Great Hour of Sharing Funds Released For Michigan Tornado Relief

Heavy winds and tornado activity ripped through portions of Eaton, Ingham, and Livingston counties Friday, August 24. Particularly hard hit were the communities of Potterville and Vermontville, just north of Charlotte. Hours following the storm, the Rev. Robin Crouch, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Charlotte. toured the devastation with the Eaton County Sheriff. Upon seeing the devastation and talking with families affected by the tornado activity, he contacted Dr. Michael Williams, executive minister of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan, requesting One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) disaster assistance monies.

The American Baptist Churches USA, through the Board of National Ministries' office of Rev. Ken George, made a $4,000 grant to provide emergency assistance to families displaced by the tornado activity. The funds are being distributed through the First Baptist Church of Charlotte as they work with the families recovering from the devastation. A portion of the funds have been used to purchase supplies used by the First Baptist Church of Charlotte youth group as they helped families in the clean up efforts. Other funds have been distributed to address needs not addressed through other agencies.

"I am grateful to the Rev. Ken George whom I have worked with over the years to secure OGHS funds to address human need following devastating events," Dr. Williams said. "He has been quick to respond to my requests as we partner together in mission and ministry. Over the years American Baptists, through OGHS, have responded generously and sacrificially to disasters across the United

In addition to the Michigan need, OGHS disaster relief funds have recently been released to aid in recovery efforts following flooding across the Midwest including Ohio and Wisconsin. ABC-MI congregations may assist in these specific disaster relief efforts by designating gifts to OGHS. To give in support of the Michigan Tornado relief efforts, church treasurers may list specifically for "Michigan August Tornadoes." For Midwest flooding, specify "Midwest Flooding." Churches may contribute funds to OGHS not only during the normal OGHS promotion time of June, but at anytime throughout the year in >response to specific disasters across the United States and the world.

Worship Leaders! Pastors!

by Pat Hernandez

Have you ever wondered about questions like these?

¶  What different models are there for "blended worship"?
¶  Should we add a service in a new style?
¶  How should we structure our worship planning team?
¶  How do we find, keep, and train competent worship leaders?
¶  What is the role of the worship team?
¶  What can we do to make worship less boring?

Then you do not want to miss the Friday morning session of the Annual Equipping Event with Paul Ryan and Greg Scheer. Paul is the resource development specialist for worship teams for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (www.calvin.edu/worship) and the coordinator for Christian Formation through Worship at Calvin College. Greg is an adjunct faculty member of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship as well as the minister of music at Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids. He is also a published composer of music songs (www.gregsheer.com) and he keeps a music blog worth checking out (www.musicblog.gregscheer.com).

Friday morning will kick off with an energetic worship experience (8:45am) featuring Paul and Greg with students from the Worship Apprenticeship program at Calvin College. Following worship, Paul and Greg will lead an interactive workshop that will address topics from assembling a worship team to making music. This workshop is open to Pastors and Worship Leaders. You won't want to miss this!

Registration information and materials is available at www.abc-mi.org. If you have any questions, please contact Pat Hernandez (phernandez@abc-mi.org).

Worship is not just what pastors and musicians do; it is what God does in all of us through the work of the Holy Spirit, and by way of the lives and work of people, congregations, and organizations. --John Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute

Invitation to the New Baptist Covenant

The New Baptist Covenant Celebration, to be held in Atlanta, Ga., on January 30-February 1, 2008, was convened by former President Jimmy Carter, and is sponsored by several national and local partner organizations, including American Baptist Churches USA, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the North American Baptist Fellowship, and several state conventions and local churches. It seeks to unite Baptists from across the country as participants in "Jesus' moral agenda" as expressed in the gospel of Luke: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19, NRSV).

In the two-minute video [click on it to watch], National Ministries' Executive Director Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III characterizes the event as "a great family reunion" and notes, "Just as Jesus said that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, we believe the Spirit of the Lord is upon us to do something brand new in a very powerful way." He said Baptists would come together "to say that what it means to be a Baptist is to be courageous, to be caring, to confront the issues of the day ... (and) to be compassionate with each other, just as Jesus did when He issued His great manifesto."

Junior High Fall Retreat at Lake Louise

Fall Junior High Retreat at Lake Louise Baptist Camp will be held September 21-23, 2007. Registration deadline is Monday, September 17. Please get your registrations in asap so necessary plans can be made for a great youth retreat. For more information call 800-440-1238 or email davidj@camplakelouise.com.

Pastoral Relations Committee Training

Saturday, September 29, 2007
9:00 A.M. ‚ 2:30 P.M.
ABC/MI Region Office

Registration - $15 Per Church
Lunch - $8 Per Person

Pastoral/Staff Relations Committees can be a vital part of healthy relationships between pastor and congregation, or they can be just another committee in your church. The difference depends on how well the members of the PRC understand their role and are trained to carry it out well. In these days of electronic communication, busy schedules, and varied expectations of a pastor, it is critical that the pastor and congregation have a group that to facilitate positive communication, support for the pastor, and bridge building. The PRC can serve that role, helping to provide healthy relationships within the church. To this end the ABC/MI and the Consultant for Transitional Ministries, the Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman will be offering a training event for Pastoral Relations/Staff Committees of our ABC/MI churches.

Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you currently have a PRC, are considering establishing a PRC, or would like to know how your church can facilitate open communication and caring support between the pastor and the congregation.

Pastors are welcome and encouraged to attend either on their own or with the PRC.

Topics we will cover at this event include: Why have a PRC, Who should be on the PRC, the Four "C's" of a PRC (Care, Cooperation, Compensation, Conflict). Presenters will be: Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman ‚ Region Consultant for Transitional Ministry and Rev. Ron Cary ‚ Region Consultant for Congregational Health.

To Register contact: Debbie Hart at the Region Office 800.632.2953 ext 221, or email at dhart@abc-mi.org or Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman, ABC/MI Consultant for Transitional Ministry 219.586.3392 or email at tgunneman@abc-mi.org.

Pictures and Videos Requested for Region Offering Promo

The Region Offering Team needs pictures and video to prepare a video about the current ministries and future opportunities in our Region. If your church, Ministry Leadership Group, or related ABC-MI organization has photos or video of current ministries (such as recent baptisms, group meeting, worship services, building dedications, etc.) please send them as attachments (video as mpeg files, digital photos as jpeg) in e-mail to Pat Hernandez (phernandez@abc-mi.org). Several pictures and a few video clips may be used as part of our promotion for a new Region Offering in 2008.

Clarification About Annual Equipping Event

There has been some confusion regarding the Annual Equipping Event and who should attend which day. Here is the correct information:

Thursday, October 18, 2007 at Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Calvin College Chapel in Grand Rapids, for Peer Group Leaders
Friday, October 19, 2007 at First Baptist Church of Cadillac for Pastors and Worship Leaders
Saturday, October 20, 2007 at First Baptist Church of Cadillac for Pastors, Worship Leaders and Lay Leadership

New Pastor Orientation

The ABC-MI will be sponsoring an Orientation for New Professional Church Leaders at the Region office in East Lansing on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. According to the Rev. Tucker Gunneman, ABC-MI Transitional Ministry Consultant, "This event will provide new pastors and associate pastors with an opportunity to meet the ABC-MI staff and also to learn about the exciting ministries the Region has to offer as we seek to fulfill our vision of Growing Healthy Churches. This will also be a great opportunity to become acquainted with other professional church leaders who also are new to their ministry settings." There is no cost for this event. If you would like to attend, please notify Debbie Hart at the Region office by phone at (800) 632-2953 x 221 or email dhart@abc-mi.org.

Short Notices

DOING EVANGELISM WITH STYLE CONFERENCE

Saturday, October 6
9 am. to 3 pm.
Covenant Baptist Church
5800 W. Maple Road
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
(co-sponsored by Crosspointe Meadows Church)
Cost: $20.00 By October 5
$25.00 At The Door
For Information/registration:
Call 248-855-9191
Email: churchoffice@covenant
baptistchurch.org

The conference leader is Dr. Jeffery Johnson, National Coordinator of Evangelism for National Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, USA. Dr. Johnson will present various personality styles of evangelism and conduct style-specific training through the use of Styles Assessment Tools. He will also offer practical ideas on how to use the assessment outcomes effectively with members of your church. This conference is for pastors and lay leaders who want to learn effective and engaging forms of faith sharing.

Friendship House Director Linnea Berg says, "Friendship House Golf Outing is September 22, and we only have a few golfers signed up and paid. I keep hearing rumors about foursomes coming from a variety of churches and would like to have those rumors verified with hard, cold cash! Hey, we'll even take a verbal RSVP in the short term. We're really counting on a good turnout to make this year's fundraiser a roaring success. Please encourage your golfers and duffers to get their $100 in as soon as possible. Thanks for your help." Read about the Friendship Golf outing: http://abc-mi.org/elink/fhgolf.pdf.

The Robert E. Webber Center for an Ancient Evangelical Future will host its 2007 conference on November 30 and December 1 at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. The theme this year is built around the first point of the Call: On the Primacy of the Biblical Narrative. More details at http://www.aefcenter.org/attend.html

Sustaining Pastoral Excellence at St. Francis Retreat Center, Dewitt, will host a one day workshop for clergy and other pastoral personnel on "Pastoral Skills to Assist Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse And Neglect" on Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 9 am to 5 pm. More information is in this brochure: http://abc-mi.org/elink/speabuseworkshop.pdf

The Fifth Annual Metro Detroit Fall Dinner for ABC Men and Women of Southeastern Michigan will be held Saturday, November 3, 2007. Details are in this flyer: http://abc-mi.org/elink/http://abc-mi.org/elink/mdafalldinner.pdf. For the latest Metro Update check here: http://abc-mi.org/elink/mdaseptupdate.pdf

First Baptist Church of Birmingham opens the 12th season of B'Jazz Vespers, Sunday evening, September 16, 2007, 6 to 8 PM. This first concernt features The Dennis Tini Jazz Trio celebrating "Global Peace and Understanding." Pianist, composer and longtime Wayne State professor Dennis Tini funnels a lot of ambition into "Global Peace and Understanding," his newest CD. The music is dedicated generally to world peace and specifically to victims of natural disasters (Katrina, the tsunami) a health crisis (AIDS in Africa) and the Lake George boat tragedy. The church is located at 300 Willits Street, 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 interlude between two jazz sets. A free-will offering is taken for the musicians. Join the artists after the concert in the church parlor for conversation and refreshments! Free - Open To The Public Casual Attire -- firstbaptistbirmingham.org.

The Annual Equipping Event and Annual Meeting (AEE/AM) documents are posted to the ABC-MI website (http://abc-mi.org) for anyone who needs the same information that went out in the registration packets. Also, a downloadable Youth Leader Core brochure has been posted to the AB Youth section of the website.

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

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 September 24. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by September 21.

Editor's Note to Internet Explorer 6 Users: You are strongly encouraged to update your web browser to Internet Explorer 7 or to the latest release of Firefox. Internet Explorer 6 is obsolete and does not render certain image files correctly (including the E-Link logo). Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox are both free and may be downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/38m4oj and http://tinyurl.com/2tedhr respectively. Internet Explorer 7 won't work on versions of Windows earlier than XP. Firefox works on all versions of Windows back to Windows 98.

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

§  Attract Converts by Giving Away Motorcycles -- http://tinyurl.com/2ln6m4
§  The Real Worship Wars -- http://tinyurl.com/2j8voq
§  How Myths Shape the Public's Thinking -- http://tinyurl.com/2zllrl
§  Why We Love Football -- http://tinyurl.com/2pw2zv
§  What Allergies Are Telling Us -- http://tinyurl.com/35zsk4
§  The Politics of God -- http://tinyurl.com/yokmnk

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